We Might Fall
by IdPattThat
Summary: One thing Edward Cullen never expected to do was fall for his best friend's little sister. We know how their story ends – let's see how it began. A prequel of sorts to Secrets, Lies, & Family Ties.
1. First Kiss Revisited

**Disclaimer: Stephenie owns all these things that I do not.**

**Also, this is a prequel to Secrets, Lies, & Family Ties. It may or may not be spoiler(ish).**

**Thanks to killerlashes and messynachos for being in for the long haul.**

**This one is for radar1230 for waking up the idea that was in my head. Hugs.**

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We Might Fall

Chapter One – First Kiss Revisited

Edward Cullen kissed me. He kissed me and told me he'd been _waiting_ to kiss me. How long had he been waiting? I'd been waiting for him to do it since I was about 13. I lay in my bed and touched my lips softly, remembering. We'd left shortly after Edward kissed me, Emmett insisting that he had to be up early for Saturday morning practice. I didn't even get a chance to talk to Edward.

But I could still taste spearmint on my lips.

I rolled over in my bed and hugged my pillow tightly, burying my smiling face into it.

_Edward _kissed _me. _

I wanted to laugh and yell it out. I wanted to tell someone. I couldn't. I couldn't tell Alice and I most definitely couldn't tell Emmett. He'd kill Edward.

Just as I closed my eyes I heard the sound I would come to hear many times in the next few months.

A soft _tap, tap, tap_ against my window. I crawled out of bed and pulled the curtains back. I wouldn't have been able to stop the grin from spreading across my face, even if I'd actually tried. Edward was there, still in his jeans and hoodie, bouncing nervously on the balls of his feet.

"What are you doing?" I called down to the yard.

"Come down," he whispered loudly. I was downstairs before I even had time to think about it.

"What are you doing?" I asked again when I'd closed the door behind me and he'd jumped the two steps the led to my front door.

Edward didn't say anything. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against his body. He smiled down at me and my heart stuttered violently in my chest before his fingers tangled themselves in the hair at the back of my neck and his lips were on mine.

The kiss was different from the first. It was desperate, needy… and amazing.

"Bella." He whispered my name when he pulled away.

"Hmm?" I asked, dazed.

"I really, _really_ like kissing you." His green eyes crinkled slightly at the corners and I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

"I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet. You should do it again," I told him.

"I can do that." His face was determined as his lips met mine again. And again. And again until I was lightheaded.

"Yeah. I like kissing you, too," I sighed. Edward laughed and touched his forehead to mine, his fingers drawing circles on the back of my neck. I shuddered under his hands and leaned into him. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know." Edward's voice was quiet as his hands moved from my neck and rested on my hips, pulling me closer to him. "I just… I want to be around you, Iz. All the damn time."

"Yeah?" I buried my face in his shirt.

"Yeah. I just – I can't explain it."

"I know." I rested my head against his chest and his arms wrapped around my shoulders. "What are we supposed to do?" My arms went around his middle, holding him against me.

"Good question." Edward chuckled. It vibrated though his chest and I closed my eyes at the sound.

Kissing Edward had started something… something big. It was something that – if we gave into it – could hurt us in the long run.

But I was pretty sure it would be worth it.


	2. What Happens in Detention

**Disclaimer: Steph still owns. **

**Thanks to killerlashes for being so quick and awesome and for knowing these characters as well as I do. XOXO**

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Chapter Two - What Happens in Detention Stays in Detention

The rest of the weekend passed, uneventful and boring. I didn't see any more of Edward, though I spent a great deal of Sunday with Alice at my house. We did homework and hung out with Seth while Emmett took Leah to a movie in Port Angeles. My dad had only recently started dating Sue Clearwater. Seth was an adorable and sweet seven-year-old while Leah… was a different story. She was eleven and she hated me.

"She doesn't hate you," Alice said as we watched Emmett and Leah walk up the driveway when they'd returned.

"She does." I frowned and continued slicing potatoes I was preparing for dinner.

"Lucy, I'm hooo-oooome!" Emmett called and the front door slammed. I heard him and Leah laugh and watched Seth fly by the kitchen in an attempt to tackle Emmett. All it got him was a lift over Emmett's shoulder and a giggle fit.

"Such dorks." Leah shook her head and took a seat at the shabby kitchen table. I smiled tentatively at her and she looked away quickly.

"We love them anyways," I said with a small laugh.

"You do?" Leah asked so softly it was difficult to hear.

"Of course." I turned back to her and she nodded.

"Can I help make dinner?" she asked and I tried not to gape as she stood up and made her way across the kitchen to Alice and me.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure." I moved aside to show her what I was doing.

Edward picked Alice up a bit later but he didn't come inside. I got butterflies just thinking about his car sitting in my driveway. Dad and Sue arrived back at the house just as Leah and I were finishing dinner. It was one of the first nights we spent together as a family. It was kind of amazing.

xXx

Monday morning dawned rainy and cold, even for October in Washington. I didn't see Alice or Edward before first period; it was only after I'd suffered through Biology and Advanced Math that I finally caught a glimpse of Edward. And by "glimpse", I meant that he was standing beside my locker waiting for me.

"Hi." He smiled a smile that made me forget my locker combination.

"Hey," I returned. "Good weekend?" I asked and he scowled at his Adidas.

"If you can call filling out college applications 'fun'," he grumbled.

"Aw, is Carlisle being mean again?" I laughed.

"Shut up, your time is coming."

"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes and grabbed my Spanish book. With one movement I managed to knock three books onto the ground. "Crap," I groaned and bent down to pick them up.

"I got it." Edward knelt with me and took two of the books into his hands before standing up quickly.

I stepped out of the way as he stood and accidentally knocked my locker door six inches over; as Edward stood his head connected with the corner of it, and my books tumbled out of his arms.

"Shiiiiiit," he hissed as his hands went to his head. "Oh, that fucking hurt. Is it bleeding? It feels like it's bleeding."

I tried not to laugh as I set my hands over his and inspected a spot on his hairline.

"No blood," I whispered before softly kissing his wound. "All better." When I pulled away his curious green eyes were wide as they gazed into mine.

"Thanks." Edward knelt down again and picked my books up, then stood up slowly before handing them back to me.

"I should get to class," I muttered, embarrassed by my sudden display of affection.

"Yeah, especially before-" Edward began but was interrupted quickly.

"Cullen! Swan! Did you not hear the bell ring?" Coach Clapp stalked toward us and I groaned inwardly. "Detention," he said before handing us both a pink slip of paper with our names scrawled across them.

"Damn." I slammed my locker and looked over at Edward. He was staring at the little piece of paper, his eyebrows furrowed together. "Ready?"

"Oh. I guess…" He trailed off with a dazed expression.

"What's going on in there?" I tapped the side of his head softly.

"I was just thinking… I mean, we're already late, what are a few more minutes in the grand scheme of things?" One side of his mouth turned up in an adorable smile.

"What did you have in mind?" I quirked an eyebrow at him. Edward grinned, full-on make-your-heart-stop, and grabbed my hand. He dragged me down the hall until he found and empty classroom, opened the door, and tugged me inside.

"You look amazing today," he whispered, before his hands were lost in my hair and his lips were meeting mine. His tongue gently parted my lips to meet mine and my arms wrapped around his neck, holding him to me.

"God, I thought about that all weekend," I said when he'd finally pulled away. He laughed softly and I reveled in the sound of it. I could wrap myself up in his laugh and live there for days.

"Me too," Edward replied. "We should probably get to class now."

"I'll see you in detention then?" I grinned as we exited the room and made our way to our respective classes.

"Can't wait." He winked and opened the door to his Economics class.

_Me either._

The rest of the day passed torturously slow. Normally I would be devastated about a detention on my record. But a detention with Edward? Yes, please.

Emmett was waiting for me at my locker when the final bell rang.

"You ready?" he grumbled.

"Oh, sorry. I have detention."

"What the hell, Iz? How did you get detention?" He scrubbed his face with the heel of his hand and I rolled my eyes.

"It was my fault," Edward said, appearing at my side. "I'll give her a ride home, if that's okay."

"Yeah, sure." Emmett smiled at his best friend and kissed my head. "Try to stay out of trouble, kid," he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

My stomach dropped at the word 'kid' and I knew Edward was thinking the same thing I was. I was his best friend's sister. His best friend's _little_ sister.

"We should get going," I muttered and turned away from Edward. He caught up with me quickly as I rounded the corner to Coach Clapp's room. Edward's fingers gently brushed against mine and I relaxed minutely.

"I know what you're thinking," he whispered when we'd stopped outside the classroom. "Don't think that the same thing isn't going through my head."

"He's your best friend, how can - "

"There you are!" Coach Clapp exclaimed as he opened the door, ultimately ending our conversation. I left Edward standing in the hall with an anguished look on his face. "All right, kiddies. One hour. No talking. I suggest you find something to do."

I took a seat in the middle of the room and Edward took the one in front of me, shielding me from the coach. He took out his Econ book and started working; I did the same with my Spanish homework.

A few minutes passed and when I finally looked up from my work a small folded piece of paper was sitting on top of my desk. I quickly unfolded it.

_Don't worry so much.  
_

I rolled my eyes at Edward's instructions and wrote him back.

_Can't help it. I don't want to cause any trouble for the two of you._

Setting the note on the corner of my desk, I went back to work. Edward turned and grabbed it, then wrote a quick response.

_There won't be. It isn't about Em. It's about you. I like __you__._

I smothered my smile in my arm and replied.

_I like you. _

_-Really?_

_Yes, dummy. _

_-Like… how much?_

_Are you serious?_

_-Maybe._

_A lot. _

_-Me too. _

_You like yourself a lot, too?_

_-You're so rude. I want to kiss you._

_Yeah. Me too. _

_-You want to kiss you, too?_

_Maybe. I'm pretty good at it. _

_-That's what Tyler said. I almost punched him. _

_Jealous much?_

_-You know it. _

_I like that. _

_-You would. _

_Are you going to kiss me after this? _

_-If you let me._

_I'd always let you. _

_-Sweet. Do you have any gum? I want to have fresh breath when I kiss you. _

_Will a Mentos do? _

_-Yes. I'll expect it when we get the hell out of here._

_It's yours._

I didn't mean the Mentos and I was pretty sure, even then, that Edward knew that. When Coach Clapp finally dismissed us and the other two people in the room, Edward and I walked behind them at a slower pace. Once the two had gotten into their cars and driven away he grabbed my hand and we ran to his car, laughing the whole way.

"Gimme a Mentos, Freshmaker," he said with his lips against my cheek.

"Mint, schmint. Kiss me now," I breathed. He grinned and obliged, his lips gentle on mine. Edward's hands framed my face and his body pressed me into the side of his car.

"You're right. I like the way you taste better than Mentos," he whispered into my ear, his breath sending shivers through my body. I could feel my face flush. "I like that, too." Edward smiled and touched my red cheek softly.

"Stop it." I pushed his hand away and he laughed. "I can't do that to you. You never get embarrassed about _anything_," I grumbled and crossed my arms over his chest.

"You do things to me. Trust me." He raked a hand through his hair and took a step back so he could open the door for me. "C'mon. Let's get you home before Chief sends out the search party."

"Yes, I'd hate for Officer Mark to actually have to _crank_ his car," I smirked and Edward laughed.

"You never know, Iz." He shrugged and closed the door, then jogged around the car and opened his own. I put my seatbelt on and Edward cranked the car, then reached over and took my hand before leaving the parking lot. He laced his fingers through mine and held our hands up in front of his face like he was inspecting a rare gem or something.

"That's nice." He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Well… our hands _did _fit together pretty well but - who knew Edward Cullen could be so corny? And who knew I would like it so much when he was?


	3. Feel Me Up, Buttercup

**Steph owns. **

**Thanks to killerlashes as always. **

**And UofMAnne for helping me with the song and suffering the consequences. :)**

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Chapter 3 – Feel Me Up, Buttercup

Edward and I were careful not to get into any trouble the rest of the week. The Chief wasn't too crazy about me getting detention (though he probably wouldn't have known if Emmett didn't snitch on me) and Edward didn't need any blemishes on his record so close to graduation. On Friday night Dad, Sue, Seth, and Leah waited impatiently for me to get dressed for the football game. Edward would be playing so I wasn't really getting dressed up for him. Okay, I was. No, he wasn't my boyfriend but I still wanted to look nice for him.

"Whoa, you look pretty." Seth hugged me tightly when I finally came down the stairs. I ruffled the top of his head and hugged him back.

"Thanks, kid." I grinned and turned to the rest of the 'family'. "Ready?"

"Sure thing," my dad grumbled as we filed out of the front door. He eyed me suspiciously once we reached the field but Sue gave me a soft smile and linked her arm through his.

"Come on, Chief. Let's find us a seat," she said as she took Seth's hand. Leah gave me a small wave and followed our parents. I scanned the crowd for Alice. She was already on the field in her blue and gold uniform, stretching and warming up with the other cheerleaders. Edward had pitched a royal fit when she joined the squad, not wanting people to be "fucking gawking at my little sister in her underwear", but in the end Alice won. She always did: when it came to Alice, Edward was a total pushover. Alice gave me a quick wave before returning back to practicing her stunt with the rest of the squad. I leaned against the chain-link fence and watched the bleachers fill on the other side of the field. A moment later that all-too-familiar scent was surrounding me.

"Hey," Edward said softly as he leaned against the fence, directly across from me.

"Hi," I replied, startled at his sudden appearance. It took me a moment that he was in jeans and his football jersey. "What's wrong? Did you get hurt? Why aren't you playing?" I bombarded him with questions. He laughed, soft and quiet, before answering.

"Detention happened. We can't have any during game weeks. So, I get to sit the bench." He shrugged and turned to his back was against the fence, his eyes trained on the field.

"I'm so sorry, Edward." I frowned.

"It wasn't your fault, Iz." He shrugged again. I reached out and traced the letters on the back of his jersey that spelled out his last name.

"What about scouts?" I asked.

"Please. Nobody wants a scrawny kid from Forks. Besides, I don't want to go to school to play ball. I want to build shit." He turned to me and smiled.

"You're going to be amazing, you know?"

"Maybe," he returned with a wink. "I've got to get going until the game starts, will you be here?"

"If you want me to be, I will."

"I want you to be," Edward whispered with his lips close to my ear. I nodded, unable to speak. "By the way… you're beautiful."

I did stay there until the game started, but then I found myself in the stands sitting next to Sue with Leah on her other side. We watched on the edge of our seats, the game too close to call at any point during it. Emmett could do no wrong with his passes but the other team's defense was just as good as our offense. As much as I tried to watch the game, most of my time was focused on Edward walking up and down the field. Sometimes he was running along with the plays, yelling at the other team or encouraging his teammates. At one point during the second quarter Edward got into a heated argument with a referee and Coach Clapp ushered him off the field.

I squirmed in my seat, debating on whether or not I should go to him. Sue placed a warm hand on my arm and I met her wise eyes.

_Be careful_, she mouthed. I nodded and stood, then tried to my best to walk slowly down the bleachers, anxious to be near him. It didn't take too long to find Edward, sitting alone on the bleachers at the baseball field. I silently took a spot next to him and nudged him with my shoulder. He scowled and rested his chin in his hands.

"They're not being fair," he grumbled and I laughed quietly.

"You're very cute when you're angry." I rested my chin on his shoulder and watched a small smile form on his mouth.

"You're ridiculous." Edward shook his head but loosened his limbs so he could put an arm around my shoulders. He pulled me close to his side and kissed my forehead.

"Are you still angry?" I asked with my lips close to his neck.

"Nope," he whispered. His arm slipped from my shoulder and his fingers found the exposed skin between my jeans and Forks' Spartans shirt. I'd pulled my hair into a high ponytail and tied it up with a blue and gold ribbon. Edward's lips found the skin beneath my ear and I gave an involuntary shudder beneath his touch. He used his free hand to turn my face to his, green eyes asking for permission. I didn't wait for him to find it; instead, I kissed him, practically melting into him as I did with his hands on the back of my neck and wrapped around my hip. His fingers were like fire on my skin as they trailed lightly under my shirt and reached the edge of my bra.

My body froze completely as he reached unchartered territory. I pulled away quickly.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" he asked softly and leaned in to kiss me again.

"No. I just… uh – I've never…" I stuttered my answer, embarrassed to have to tell him that no one had ever touched me that way. "It's just – I feel things with you that I've never felt… with _anyone_," I said, hoping he'd get it. Finally, after the longest moment of my life, understanding dawned on his face. Edward removed his hands from my body and moved himself a few inches away.

"I'm sorry. That was a little fast, wasn't it?" he said sheepishly.

"No! I mean… I've just never…" I looked down at my feet, embarrassed again. I'd heard rumors about Edward, but I always tried to ignore them. If he wanted something I couldn't give, well I wasn't sure what I would do.

"Izzy," he said as he lifted my chin to his face. "I don't want to rush into anything. Just – when I'm kissing you I want to touch you and feel you and – and things I've never felt before, too."

"I'm a virgin, Edward," I blurted out, tired of beating around the bush. He laughed and pulled me into his arms. "Don't laugh at me," I grumbled.

"I'm not." He chuckled quietly. "Laughing at you, I mean. Not 'I'm not a virgin', because I am."

"Are not." I pulled away to see his face. He looked at me seriously.

"Are we really having this conversation?" Edward narrowed his eyes at me and I recoiled slightly. Had I offended him somehow? "Bella. I know what people say about me and that's fine. But, you should know better than to listen to them. You've known me your whole life. I'm not _that_ guy."

I thought about what he said while he watched me.

"What about Lauren?"

"Gross."

"Jessica?"

"Newton would murder me."

"Angela?" I grinned.

"Sadly, she won't give me the time of day."

"That tall redhead?"

"She's like, thirty. Isn't that against the law?"

"Mrs. Cope?"

Silence.

"Edward!" I cried, and he laughed, the sound echoing around us.

"Nah. I'm not her type. I'm too skinny. Emmett, on the other hand…"

"Edward! That's gross." I shuddered out of disgust and he hugged me to him.

"I mean it, Iz. I just… haven't found the right girl or something insightful like that. _God_, that was lame." He covered his face with his hand and shook his head.

"You're even cuter when you're flustered than when you're angry." I pulled his hand away and laced our fingers together.

"Shut up." He kissed my nose and I turned to lean back against him.

"I feel the same though," I said after a moment. "When the time and the person is right… maybe."

"Yeah. Maybe," he echoed with his arms tight around me.

"Did we just make a virginity pact?" I asked. His chest vibrated with laughter beneath me.

"That depends."

"On?"

"On if sealing the deal allows me to touch your boobs." I turned quickly to see him grinning at me.

"Why not?" I stuck my chest out he gave me a dubious look.

"Really?" Edward asked with an arched eyebrow.

"No, you perv. Take me on a date or something first." I crossed my arms over my chest and he frowned.

"Ooooh. You're one of _those_ girls. 'Buy me something and you can touch them.' Such a tease!" He rolled his eyes and I shoved him lightly. Edward pretended to fall between the bleachers and I giggled. "I like when you laugh. Or smile. Or breathe."

"You're very strange, Edward Cullen." I shook my head and he took his place beside me again.

"You like it very much."

"I really do." And then he kissed me.

Emmett decided to organize another hide-n-seek game that night after the game. Edward and I spent most of the night wrapped up in each other, hidden away from our friends under the cover of the darkness and the trees.

xXx

The next few weeks were nerve-wracking, to say the least. I saw Edward at school and games with hardly any alone time in between. He would often come home with Emmett after football practice and stay for dinner or study with my brother. Other nights I would spend at his house, holed up in Alice's room on the third floor doing schoolwork. And sometimes he would come, late at night, and throw rocks at my window until I tiptoed downstairs. Those were the nights we would sit together on the old porch swing and talk for hours. Those were the nights I fell in love.

One night, as I kissed him goodbye on my front door step, Edward asked me something that I hadn't really expected.

"Will you go to homecoming with me?"

"What?" I stumbled back through the front door.

"Go to the dance with me?" he asked again with a smile.

"Are you serious? What would we tell people?"

"Who cares, Iz?"

"I mean, like, my brother? Your sister? Our _parents_?"

"We'll tell them we're friends going to a dance together. Please say yes." He whispered the last part and put a hand on my hip. His face was so close, all green eyes and pouty lips, there was no way I could refuse.

"Yes. Happy now? Alice will want to take me shopping."

"I'll make it up to you. Promise."

"You'd better," I grumbled, and then he kissed me, making me lightheaded and stealing my memories.

"I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

xXx

"Daddy?" I snuggled next to my dad one night before the dance.

"What do you want?" He stifled a laugh and wrapped an arm around me.

"Well… Homecoming is Friday and - "

"You need a dress?"

"Yes. And well… I kind of have a date, but I don't want you to freak out about it because we're just going as friends, okay?" I rushed the rest of my explanation hoping that he wouldn't care at all.

"A date? With who?" Of course he would care.

"Uh, Edward?"

"Cullen?"

"No, Scissorhands," I retorted.

"Just friends, huh?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"You sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure." I frowned at his innuendo.

"If you say so," he muttered and went back to whatever game was on television.

"So, Esme said she would take Alice and I shopping tomorrow, if that's okay."

"Sure thing, baby girl," he said as he shifted his weight to the side and pulled out his wallet. He handed me his credit card and I grinned. "Be reasonable, Iz."

"I love you!" I kissed his cheek and ran off to my room, throwing myself on my bed in absolute giddiness.

xXx

Esme picked Alice and I up from school the next day and drove us to Port Angeles to dress shop. It was nice having someone like Esme around since my mother was absent. Sue was proving to be someone in whom I could confide, but I was still wary. Of course, with Esme, I now had a huge secret to keep from her, which just happened to come in the six-foot-tall package of her gorgeous son.

"So Bella, what made you an Edward decide to go together?" Esme asked slyly while Alice and I tried on different things.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to save him from his rabid fans," I snickered and Alice laughed politely.

"That boy." Esme shook her head.

"Yeah. That boy," I muttered.

"That dress is gorgeous, Bella," Alice said as I stepped out of the dressing room in my final choice. It was a silky, dark blue number that stopped just above the knee.

"I think that's the one," Esme agreed. "Edward will love it." I simply smiled at Esme and ignored my pounding heart.

xXx

When the night of the dance finally arrived I attended the football game with everyone else. I watched a busty blond cheerleader be crowned Homecoming Queen and, of course, watched Edward play. Well, Edward _and _the whole team. But mostly Edward. Each time he was on the sideline his eyes were searching the bleachers, the crowd at the fence, anywhere for me. And each time our eyes met my heart pounded and my lips curved up of their own accord when he winked at me.

After the game we all went back to the Cullen house to change and take pictures. The dance was at the school gym, nothing spectacular, though Alice and I had to admit the decorations were pretty impressive.

Alice and Emmett walked arm in arm into the gym together, looking ridiculous from behind. Her small frame next to his hulking figure was nearly too much, especially with the yellow tulle of Alice's dress sticking out more than a foot from her body. I laughed and leaned into Edward, actually eager to be surrounded by a noisy crowd and loud music just to feel his arms around me.

We mingled separately for a while until a slow song came on and his lips were at my ear.

"Dance with me?" His voice was soft, hands gentle on my waist.

I slid my arms around his neck and let my head rest on his shoulders.

"Don't get too comfortable, people might talk," Edward whispered into my hair. I tried to pull away but he held fast. "I'm kidding."

"What if - "

"What if I don't care?" His green eyes reflected the twinkle lights and I felt my heart stutter.

"Edward…"

"I want to kiss you."

"Later."

"Now."

"Just dance with me?" I pleaded. "Please? I can't do this yet." I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." His whisper ruffled my hair; his arms wound tight around me again. "I just…"

"I know," I replied and closed my eyes. We moved with the music, getting lost in the notes and lyrics and each other.

"_I'll be your dream,_

_I'll be your wish, _

_I'll be your fantasy. _

_I'll be your hope, _

_I'll be your love, _

_Be everything that you need." _

One of Edward's hands traveled to the back of my neck, the other tight on my hip.

"Let's get out of here."

"Where're we going?" I asked as I let him lead me out of the gym. His fingers laced through mine filled me with a strange sense of elation. I had to practically jog to keep up with him, his long legs and determination a bad combination for me. Thank goodness I'd gone with ballet flats. Edward finally stopped when we'd reached the parking lot, void of anything except cars.

He pulled me against him and pressed his forehead to mine.

"You look amazing tonight," he whispered, his warm breath caressing my face. I shivered and he pulled back. "_Shit_," he groaned.

"What?"

"I forgot our coats. We should go back inside."

"Do you have your car keys?" I asked and he quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Yes…"

"Doesn't the Volvo have seat heaters?" I tugged his hand and started walking.

"It does."

"Did you or did you not tell me you wanted to kiss me?"

"I did."

"You're not going to back out, are you?"

"Not a chance." He grinned, seeing we'd reached his car. I pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. Edward's eyes were wide as I replaced the keys and gave him a small shove toward the car. I opened the back door and pointed. He quickly obliged and pulled me in after him. I closed the door and laughed when I came face to face with Edward's butt. Not that I minded. It was nice to look at, especially in black dress pants. I gave one cheek a quick pinch and he yelped.

"Watch it, Swan, or no seat heaters!"

"Sorry!" I giggled and patted him lightly on the backside. He smiled when he sat back down, his hair sticking up in every direction from rubbing against the ceiling of the car.

"Now, where were we?"

"Kiss me, you fool." I grabbed his collar and pulled him to me.

"As you wish," he said with his lips against mine.

I let Edward get to second base that night.


	4. Liar, Liar

**Steph owns the characters. Killerlashes makes the words more better. **

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Chapter 4 – Liar, Liar (Pants on Fire)

My relationship with Bella only intensified after the Homecoming dance (though we didn't really dance much). It seemed like everyone had a theory about my behavior. I didn't think I was acting any different.

"Why are you so happy?" Alice asked one Friday morning at breakfast.

"I'm…not!" I tried not to glare at her over my Lucky Charms.

"You really are. It's kind of annoying."

"Alice!" My mother scolded her and kissed my head. "I like when you smile, darling."

"Thanks, Mama." I smiled and stuck my tongue out at my sister.

"Alice is right, Esme. Who's the girl?" Dad asked and I nearly choked on my cereal.

"What?" I croaked.

"Oh, I didn't even think about that!" Mom cried.

The three of them stared at me for a moment that just seemed to stretch on and on, their gazes openly speculative as they silently ran through the possible identities of my Mystery Girl. Uh-oh. Was this gonna be the come-to-Jesus talk?

"It's not – I mean…I'm going to school!" I pushed myself away from the island where I'd been sitting and grabbed my books off the counter. I heard them laughing as I made my way to the front door. I flung it open only to find Bella and Emmett waiting on the other side.

"Hi." Bella's coy smile set my heart off, but Emmett's glare nearly stopped it.

"What are you guys doing here?" I stuttered, and they both rolled their eyes.

"We always ride together on game days, idiot," Emmett said, looking at me like I should be riding the short bus, and punched my shoulder as he jostled past me, no doubt to steal half a box of Pop-Tarts as his breakfast.

"Right," I muttered and kicked the ground.

"Why so sullen, Cullen?" Bella asked and I chuckled lightly.

"The family is wondering why I'm so happy," I told her. Bella turned bright red and stepped around me as Emmett did.

"I wonder the same thing," she said quietly. Her fingers trailed down my arm and squeezed my hand softly.

"Don't," I whispered and she threw me a sad smile before heading for the kitchen.

I groaned and closed the door, wishing I wasn't such a pussy. I hated that my insistence on keeping our relationship a secret meant that Bella always doubted how I felt about her. Sometimes other guys talked about her (behind Emmett's back, of course) and I wanted more than anything to kick the shit out of them. They never said bad things about her. But that's why it pissed me off, because it was typical locker-room crap. The guys didn't talk about how beautiful and intelligent and giving Bella was; they talked about how "hot" she was and about her "sweet ass", which nearly led to me murdering Eric Yorkie after practice one stressful Wednesday.

"Can we go now?" I leaned against the island next to Bella, our shoulders touching.

"Hold your horses; your dad's telling us about his latest marriage proposal," Bella laughed, and I covered my face with my hand.

"Old-lady appendectomy?" I asked and Dad grinned.

"She was a lovely woman," he protested, "especially her trust fund!" Mom smacked him with a dishcloth. Bella nudged my shoulder gently and I glanced down at her, her eyes focused on something out the window, the light shining through her long ponytail.

"Ahem." Dad cleared his throat and we both turned to him. He raised an eyebrow and smiled into his coffee cup. I looked around quickly and found that everyone else had left the room. "You kids should get to school."

"Right. School." Bella nodded and slipped quietly out of the kitchen.

I could still feel Dad's eyes on me as I studied the granite of the counter I was leaning on.

"Edward." His voice was quiet but commanding. I lifted my head slowly, afraid to see the look on his face.

"I know, Dad."

"Edward, _be careful_."

"I _know_, Dad," I repeated.

"You're playing with fire, son."

"Dad, I - "

"I know, _you know_. I don't have to give you the 'be safe' talk again, do I?"

"It's not just that, Dad!" I protested, my face going crimson, "It's more than that. It's just… I don't know how to explain it." I shrugged and leaned my back against the counter.

"I was in your position once, too. Young and smitten with a beautiful girl," he said, a small smile drifting onto his face as he reminisced.

"And?"

"And I married her." He clapped me on the shoulder and turned me toward the door. "Let's not think about _that_ just yet, though. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." I laughed and grabbed my abandoned books before heading out the door. "Dad?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"Can we…can you not tell Mom? Yet?" I shuffled my feet and glanced toward the open front door.

"Your Mom's no fool, Edward."

"I know. Just…let me tell her?"

"Fine. But do it _soon." _He gave me another knowing look and I sighed.

"I will."

"Have a good day. We'll see you at the game." Mom kissed my cheek as I walked by.

"Love you, Mom." I wrapped her in a tight, one-armed hug.

"I love you, too, darling," she murmured, looking a little dumbstruck as I released her. I gave Dad one last look before climbing into Emmett's truck next to Alice.

I didn't get a chance to talk to Bella about what Dad had seen or thought he'd seen. Ah, fuck. Of _course_ he saw. It was pretty obvious. I was still surprised Emmett hadn't caught on and kicked my ass (and oh, what an epic ass-kicking it would be).

"Hi." Bella's voice was quiet when we finally met outside the gym after school.

"Hey. Sorry about this morning. I really wanted to talk to you." I frowned and she reached up and brushed my hair away.

"It's okay," she said before stepping onto her toes to kiss me.

I returned the kiss and willed my hands to stay on her hips and out of any…danger zones. "I should go. Big game and all that," I said airily, in a faked Big Man On Campus tone.

Her laugh sounded forced, but she smiled and hugged me around the middle. "I miss you," she said into my t-shirt.

"I know, baby." I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her head.

"I don't want to do this anymore, Edward," she blurted suddenly, and I pushed her away so I could see her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and I tried desperately to wipe them away with my thumbs but I couldn't seem to stop them.

"Wha – what do you mean?" I stuttered, even though I knew perfectly well what she meant.

"I just don't want to keep secrets any more. At first it was fun- the sneaking around and trying not to get caught. But it's been two months, Edward. Your dad definitely knows something is up. And so does Sue. It's only a matter of time before everyone knows." She pulled away from me and wiped her face on the sleeve of her shirt, looking resolute. "So either you man up and tell Emmett and Alice and your parents, or _I_ will."

I watched her for a minute, all red eyes and blotchy skin, before I made my decision. I took her face in both of my hands, forcing her to look at me. Her earnest brown eyes are wide and framed by dark, wet lashes. I kissed her softly at first, but before I knew it her hands were fisted in my hair and her back was against the wall of the gym.

"Edward…" she whispered my name while my lips were trailing down her neck. "Edward, please," she pleaded, and I stopped and pressed my forehead to hers.

"Two weeks. Just until play-offs are over, please?" I asked with my lips close to hers, feeling selfish and immature and generally like the world's biggest asshole.

"Promise?"

"I fucking promise. I'll pull a _Ten Things I Hate About You_ and serenade you from the bleachers in front of God and my family and everybody," I said fervently, and she giggled quietly.

"As long as you don't fall." She touched my bottom lip softly and I leaned into her.

"I'm pretty sure I've already fallen," I whispered before I kissed her again.

* * *

**Happy New Year! I hope 2011 brings amazing things to all of you! **

**XOXO**

** Ash**


	5. The Cat's Out of the Bag

**Steph owns the important stuff. **

**Killerlashes is my fantastical beta/friend. **

* * *

Chapter 5 – The Cat's Out of the Bag

EPOV

I didn't see Bella after the game that night. Actually, I didn't see anyone after the game that night. We'd hung on another round toward the play-offs, but it had been brutal. I was tired and bruised, and the extra-long practices (not to mention my late night rendezvouses with Bella) had finally caught up with me.

I went home and showered, then lay in my bed feeling exhausted but too nervous to sleep. I'd decided during the third quarter as I watched Chief Swan cheer on my best friend and our team that I had some serious conversations coming up in the very near future. And, well, I might as well start with the most important.

Despite my lack of sleep, I was up early the next morning. It was a well-known fact that Chief Swan liked to fish off McCallister Bridge on Saturday mornings before he went to work. Dad eyed me as I made my way out the front door but didn't say anything, and for that I was grateful. I stopped by the diner and picked up two coffees before making my way just out of the city limits. I parked by his squad car and made my way up the incline, trying not to vomit as I did.

"'Morning, Chief," I greeted him, and he turned slowly, his eyebrows rising into his hair. He reeled in his line and took the coffee I held out, sipping it before setting it at his feet.

"Edward? I figured you'd be in bed all day after that game." He looked away and cast his line again.

"Ah. Well. I kind of just wanted to… talk to you?"

"Talk to me? You okay? You hit your head last night?" Charlie chuckled at his own joke and I nervously sipped my coffee.

"No, no. It's nothing like that." I shook my head and leaned against the railing.

"What's going on, son? Are you in trouble?" He set his fishing pole down and turned to me, a look of concern on his face.

"Well… it depends on how you look at the situation." I shifted under his uncomfortable glare.

"Edward, I've known you a long time. You can tell me anything, you know." The chief's eyes were compassionate and it only made me feel worse.

_I've been sneaking around your back with your baby girl, how's that for anything?_

No. That wasn't the right thing to say.

"Charlie – Chief Swan – I mean – "

"Spit it out, boy!" Charlie laughed and I hung my head and stared at my feet.

"It's about Bella."

"Bella? What about her?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest and eyed me again.

"See, here's the thing…" I started but my words got caught in my throat. I took a large sip of coffee, forgetting how hot it was and ended up nearly coughing up my lung.

"Why are you so nervous, kid?" Charlie patted me heartily on the back. I regained my composure and squared my shoulders.

"I like her, sir."

"Who?"

"Bella."

"O…kay." Charlie's face was confused and I felt my stomach turn.

"A lot. I like her a lot," I clarified. I watched Charlie's face turn red for a moment, as if he'd stopped breathing, and then he spoke.

"You like her," he stated.

"Yes, sir."

"A lot." Another statement.

"Yes."

"My Bella."

"That's the one."

"My daughter."

"Um… yes?"

"Edward, how old are you?"

"I'm eighteen, sir."

"And how old is Bella?"

"S-seventeen?"

"Is there any reason I shouldn't trust you?"

"No, sir."

"Is there anything that I need to know about your um… relationship?" Charlie asked and I felt myself turn red. I thought it was best to be honest with him.

"I just want to be around her. All the time."

"Well, then, I guess there is nothing I can do about it, is there?"

"Um, no, sir?"

"Edward, I trust you. I trust you to do the right thing _and _to do right by Bella."

"Thank you, sir."

"You're scared to tell her brother, aren't you?"

"A little bit. Emmett's kind of big."

Charlie laughed and clapped me on the shoulder.

"You'll do fine, son. Just… do it soon."

"I will," I nodded.

"And thanks for the coffee." Charlie picked up his fishing pole and I took that as my cue to leave. Relief washed over me as I got in the car and I felt a lightness I hadn't felt in a long time.

I drove to Bella's house almost giddy, ready to tell her what I'd done. Halfway to her house I actually realized what I'd done. I told Charlie. I fucking told Charlie. What if Bella wasn't happy? What if she'd wanted to tell him herself?

"Shit," I muttered as I pulled into the driveway. Bella was sitting on the old porch swing curled up with a book. She stood as I got out of the car and met me on the top step.

"What are you doing here?" She breathed the words as I caught her around the waist and pulled her against me. I was standing a step beneath her but was I still a few inches taller.

"Is Emmett home?" I let my fingers skim the skin between her t-shirt and flannel pajama pants.

"No," she answered as her arms snaked around my middle. "He went to Seattle with Mike and Eric."

"I need to tell you something," I said as she leaned up and placed a kiss on my jaw. "I did something."

"Like what?" She pulled away and eyed me speculatively.

"Can we sit down?" I dragged her to the swing and tugged on her arm.

"You want some coffee?"

"Um… sure," I told her though I was fairly sure that any more caffeine and I would vibrate out of my skin.

"So, what did you do?" She handed me a mug and curled her body up next to mine. I wrapped my free arm around her and she tucked her knees into my lap.

"I can't remember," I said and placed a kiss underneath her ear.

"Edward…" she whispered and I pulled away and sipped my coffee nervously.

"I talked to Charlie," I blurted as I stared across the yard. I felt her stiffen, though she didn't say anything for a long moment.

"About what?"

"What do you think?" I turned to her with a small smile.

"What did he say?" she murmured with her fingers in my hair.

"He said that he trusts me," I told her. I set my coffee cup down and did the same with hers, pulling her to me with both arms.

"He… trusts you?"

"Yes." I leaned in to kiss her but she moved away.

"With what?"

"With you," I answered before moving my hand to the back of her neck and pulling her to me. Our lips met roughly and she gasped a little at my force, but _God_ – I needed to feel her.

"Why did you go to him first?" Bella asked when I'd pulled away. She traced my bottom lip with her fingers before I pulled her hand away and held it to my chest.

"I don't know. It felt like the gentlemanly thing to do. And you did tell me to _man up_, didn't you?"

"Did I?" she asked softly with the hint of a smile.

"You did." I grinned.

Bella sighed and leaned into me again. "Thank you."

"I'd do anything for you." I kissed her hair and held her close.

"Like tell Emmett?"

"Except that."

"_Edward_!"

"Iz. The guy is huge. He'll crush me."

"He's not _that_ big." She frowned. "And who knows, maybe he'll be happy for us?"

"Or maybe he'll want to rip me limb from limb?" I threw up my hands.

"Oh, no. We can't let that happen. You're much to pretty to be torn apart like that." She stifled a laugh and I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up and kiss me." I wrapped her in a tight embrace and she released the laugh she'd been holding in.

"Yes, sir," she said with her lips against mine.

A car door slamming in the driveway made us freeze, still wrapped up in each other. She stared wide-eyed at me, neither one of us willing to turn to see who it was.

"I assume your father knows about this?" Sue Clearwater's voice rang out, loud and clear through the silence.

"Yes. Edward told him." Bella untangled herself from me and settled back against the wooden swing. Sue gave me a sort of appraising look and then made her way into the house. "I should go in."

"Okay."

She leaned down and gently brushed her lips against mine. "I'll talk to you soon," Bella whispered, and I nodded before hauling myself off the swing and to my car.

Alice was the only one around when I got home, sitting in the kitchen with a bowl of cereal and a magazine. I mussed her already messy short black hair and she threw me a pout as I poured my own cereal.

"Where've you been?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"I had some things to take care of." I shrugged and sat down across from her.

"What could you possibly have to take care of at seven o'clock on a Saturday?"

"I had to see a man about a horse?" I said and she laughed quietly.

"You're ridiculous. This doesn't have anything to do with your mystery girl, does it?"

"How do you know there's a mystery girl?"

"Is it a mystery _guy_?" she asked, and I glared at her over my spoon.

"I hate you."

"You do not." She stuck her tongue out at me then looked at me with pleading gray eyes. "Why won't you tell me? I know there's _someone_. Lauren said she saw you sneaking off before the game last night. She may be a dirty skank, but she knows her shit," Alice said matter-of-factly.

"I just… I can't, Brain."

"Why not? I'll ask Bella. She knows everything about you. She'll know!" Alice jumped up from her stool and ran to the cordless phone in the living room. I followed her, catching her around the waist and spinning her away from the phone. I grabbed it and held it over my head then laughed as she tried to jump and reach it.

"You suck, Edward Cullen! I'm your sister, why won't you tell me?" She stuck her hands on her hips and glared at me.

"I just can't, okay?" I cried and set the phone back down.

"Why not? And why can't I call Bella?" Alice asked. I don't know what my face looked like, but as I watched my sister's expression change I knew I was completely and utterly fucked.

"Oh. My. _God._" Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. "Oh, Edward. Please tell me this is a joke."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Alice," I muttered through clenched teeth.

"_Edward_. Don't you dare lie to me," she said with her eyes on fire.

"I – I don't know what to say." I dropped myself to the couch in defeat.

"How long?" Alice asked as she took the seat next to me.

"How long have I felt this way or how long have we...?"

"Both."

"A year or more. And a few weeks."

"A _year_?" she cried, and I flinched away. "You've had feelings for my best friend for a year and didn't tell me!"

"What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, Al. I think I'm in love with Bella, you're cool, right?'"

"Are you in love with her?" she asked softly.

"I don't know. I like her. A lot. More than I should."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she's your best friend and my best friend's sister. I shouldn't feel this way about her."

"You can't help how you feel." I turned to see Alice frowning and staring off into space.

"Does this mean you aren't mad at me?"

"I'm completely pissed at you and plan on giving me the silent treatment for days," she said dryly.

"And how is that punishment?" I asked, fighting a smile.

Alice punched me in the shoulder. She was stronger than she looked.

xXx

BPOV

"You know what I hate?" Alice's lilting voice asked from behind my locker door.

"When I wear plaid?" I asked with a smile.

"Well, that _and_ when I get left out of things," she said as we made our way to history.

"What things?" I asked.

"Like, how the squad all went to the movies this weekend and didn't invite me. When Mom and Dad took that Alaskan cruise. The fact that my best friend is dating my brother – you know. Those things."

I'd stopped walking halfway through her sentence, my mouth hanging open comically. Alice turned with a strange glint in her gray eyes.

"That's very unattractive, Bella. Imagine if Edward were to walk by," my best friend said with a tiny smirk. I manage to close my mouth long enough to grab her arm and steer her into the girls' bathroom.

"Has he told _everyone_?" I leaned against the sink and tried to catch my breath.

"He didn't tell me. I guessed. He vehemently refused, actually." She sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not speaking to him this week. I thought you should know."

"Like that's some sort of punishment," I muttered and turned to face her, then laughed at the indignant expression on her face.

"That's what Edward said. I'm not sure if I'm going to like the two of you together."

"Did he tell you we were together?" I asked in a small voice.

"He said… some things." She shifted uncomfortably and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Like what?"

"Bella, I don't think I should be the one to tell you what he said."

"Was it bad?" I asked feeling my eyes prick with tears.

"Ha. No. Definitely not."

"Are you angry with me?"

"No," Alice said softly and looked at her shoes. "I understand. I do wish _you_ would have been the one to tell me."

"I'm sorry. I have to figure out what to tell Emmett, now."

"Why now?"

"I don't know, Ali. He makes me happy and I don't want to have to keep it a secret, you know?"

"He makes you happy? Is he good to you? He's not a jerk?"

"Of course not!" I was appalled she'd even ask something like that about her brother.

"I'm just checking." Alice waved her hand dismissively and the bell rang outside the bathroom door. "_Crap._"

"Damn. I'm going to get detention again. Charlie's going to kill me."

"Well, look on the bright side," Alice said as we exited the bathroom and made our way through the empty hall.

"Which is?"

"If you're dead, you don't have to tell Emmett you're dating his best friend."

EPOV

"Hey, Ed? You guys coming over for dinner? Sue's cooking," Emmett said as we dressed after practice.

"Um. Yeah, I'll have to talk to Alice. Mom and Dad are going out," I told him.

"You sure you have time, Cullen? What with the little tart you've been chasing around lately and all?" Newton shot as I stood up and grabbed my bag.

"What?" Emmett asked from my side.

"Nothing." I muttered, pushing past Mike and heading for the locker room door.

"Oh, Lauren said she saw Edward sneaking around the gym on Friday before the game."

"Really?" Emmett eyed me suspiciously.

"No, not really." I rolled my eyes and flung the door open.

"Whatever you say, Cullen." Mike snorted as I walked away.

Damn that Lauren and her big, stupid mouth.

"What was that about?" Emmett asked as we made our way to the parking lot.

"Newton's a dick." I shrugged.

"Is there a girl?" Emmett asked, laughing.

"Nope," I answered, eager to end the conversation.

"Hey! There you guys are!" Alice cried from the trunk of my car.

"Ali, your bony ass is going to dent the trunk," I grumbled, but held out a hand to help her down. Bella smiled and slid off on her own.

"What are you guys doing here?" Emmett asked.

"Detention," Bella sighed.

"Again? Dad's going to kill you." Emmett laughed good-naturedly at his sister and reached over to muss her hair. She dodged him neatly and ended up tucked against my side.

"I'm going to ride with Alice and Edward. I left a book at her house, so I'll see you at home?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sure." Emmett nodded and climbed into his truck leaving me in the parking with my sister and my… whatever Bella was.

"This is not at all awkward." Alice said before getting into the backseat. Bella laughed softly before taking a step toward me. She rested her forehead on my chest and I kissed her hair.

"You smell nice." She turned her face up to mine and I smiled.

"Ah, yes. Coach buys Irish Spring in bulk, didn't you know?" I kissed her nose and wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

"That's a little disturbing."

"It is," I agreed and let go of her then opened the car door.

"You two are kind of gross." Alice piped up from the backseat as I took Bella's hand in mine.

"Shut it, Midge." I threw her a dirty look as I made my way out of the parking lot. She glared at me in the rearview mirror and I silently hoped she wouldn't hit me again.

It really hurt.

xXx

"You find that book you were looking for?" I asked as Bella entered the kitchen a little while after we got to my house. My parents were getting ready for some dinner with the Chief of Medicine at Forks' General and I was doing Calculus homework at the breakfast island.

"Mmhm." She wrapped her arms around me from behind and pressed her face to my back, inhaling deeply.

"Was there really a book?" I swiveled in my chair and pulled her between my legs. She wrapped her arms around my neck and placed a soft kiss under my ear.

"Maybe," she whispered against my skin and I laughed. I pulled back to kiss her, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face and bringing her face to mine.

"If this is what's going to happen when you're alone I may have to set up some house rules." My mother's voice broke through the silence of the kitchen and Bella pushed away from me, making me nearly fall off my stool.

"Mom! We - "

"Esme, it's - "

"You what? Were kissing?" she asked with her eyes on me. "And it's what? Not a big deal?" She turned to Bella, who turned bright red.

"I wanted to tell you myself," I muttered to my sneakers.

"Edward." She sighed and took a step forward. I flinched when her hand landed softly on my shoulder. "You don't have to tell me anything. I've known for a very long time."

"What do you mean?" I eyed her suspiciously.

"Sweetheart, you dragged me to five different stores when we went to visit NYU to find Bella the perfect present. Mama knows _everything_." She patted my cheek, then Bella's, and made her way out of the kitchen.

"Oh. One more thing. You're not to be in the house alone and if you're in your bedroom the door is always open. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," we chorused together, utterly dumbfounded.

"Have fun at dinner!" she called. I heard the door slam and turned slowly to Bella, who looked just as stunned as I felt.

"This is so weird," she whispered and reached out her hand. I took it and pulled her to me.

"I think it's only going to get weirder."

* * *

**Hola. I was recently made a VIP Author over on A Different Forest (www[.]addiferentforest[.]com). I'll have a cabin (forum) that you can come play in if you like. I would like if you played in my cabin. I would really, really like if you wanted to post some RobPr0n in my cabin. Mmmm... Rob... uh, gotta go. **


	6. Team FacePunch

**Steph stills owns these kids. Killerlashes betas and lets me bug her about... everything. **

**Hiiiii! Sorry this has taken so long. RL gets kind of crazy around this time of year. I've also been working hard on Accidental Atonement, my Edward/Leah fic. If you are interested in non-canon maybe you'd want to check it out. It updates a little more regularly. Just at thought. :) **

**Thanks for sticking with me (if you're still here!), hopefully I will get back into the swing of things after this.**

* * *

Chapter 6 – Team Face Punch

"Edward, if Emmett catches you in here he's going to murder you," I said as I gently pushed Edward out of my bedroom.

"No he won't. He thinks I'm helping you with your Pre-Calc homework," Edward said, his tone wheedling as he tried to move back inside my room. I put a hand on his chest and gave him my best evil eye.

"_Fiiiine_." He bent down and kissed my nose before sauntering all the way out of my room and back downstairs.

Dinner had been awkward to say the least. All of my family, plus Alice and Edward, crammed at our dinner table, while everyone except Emmett (and Seth and Leah) knew about Edward and me? Yes, awkward definitely suited the situation.

I blew out a sigh, giving up on my math homework, and found Edward downstairs, sitting at the kitchen table watching Alice and Emmett wash dishes.

"How's the math?" Emmett asked as I took a seat across from Edward.

"She's hopeless," Edward said airily. "You're just gonna have to hope somebody marries her for her cooking." Scowling, I rolled up a napkin and tossed it at him. He grinned and I felt my insides melt.

"So, you guys think we're going to win Friday?" I asked. Edward's foot rested on top of my own and tapped it gently. He smiled innocently when I glared at him.

"Of course we are," Emmett said as he flicked soap at me. "Then we're taking that State Championship home." He held out a soapy fist to Edward to bump. Edward winked at me and stood up.

"C'mon, Midge. I've got homework to do," Edward said as he wrapped Alice in a headlock. She struggled fruitlessly against his hold while he laughed.

"I hate you," she grumbled and pushed him away.

"Ouch," Edward held his hand over his chest. "That hurts, Brain."

"Thanks for dinner, Sue!" Alice yelled from the kitchen- well, screeched would be more like it. Sue called back her reply, my dad laughing at Alice's yelling.

"Good night, guys." I walked them to the door, leaving Emmett in the kitchen to finish the dishes. Edward touched my cheek softly as he walked out. I watched him go feeling butterflies in my stomach.

"Was Edward acting weird to you?" Emmett asked when I rejoined him in the kitchen.

"You mean more than usual?" I answered, desperate to avoid him.

Emmett laughed loudly and mussed my hair.

"I guess that's true. Goodnight, Iz."

"'Night." I smiled though the guilt was eating at me. I needed to tell him. "Em?"

"Yeah?" He turned at the base of the stairs.

"I – I love you."

"I love you, Iz." My brother smiled. I groaned as I watched him thunder up the steps two at a time.

"You'll get there, baby." Sue put a comforting hand on my shoulder. I sighed and let her wrap me in a tight hug.

"Hopefully sooner than later."

xXx

EPOV

I was almost positive I'd never seen the people of Forks so excited after a football game. And by people of Forks I definitely meant the whole town. We'd barely scraped a win. But we did, in fact, win.

The whole town seemed to be on the field congratulating us. Forks hadn't been to the state championship in nearly twenty years, so everyone was elated. That was the only word that could describe the atmosphere on the field. Personally I didn't have a shred of interest in the backslapping going on; I just wanted to see Bella. I knew she was with Emmett and her family; they were standing right next to my own.

I excused myself from my parents and hugged my best friend again. Then, very gently, I let my hand trail over Bella's back as I made my way off the field. She followed me, as I knew she would, until I finally stopped under the bleachers.

"Really, Edward? The bleachers?" She raised an eyebrow. I laughed and dropped my helmet and pads I'd been carrying. Bella smiled and slowly walked toward me. "I don't know what you're expecting to happen here, buddy."

"I just want to kiss you until you can't breathe," I whispered as I pulled her the rest of the way to me. She laughed breathily and wrapped her arms around me.

"_Gross_!" She tried to pull her arms away but I held fast. "Oh my God, Edward! You're disgusting!"

"Iz, I just ran the shit out of a football, what did you expect?" I nuzzled my face into her neck.

"Oh, you _reek_!"

"Shut up and kiss me!" I cried. She laughed and obliged, _finally_.

"Let's go somewhere," she whispered against my mouth.

"Like?"

"Like not under the bleachers, you creep."

"Locker room?" I asked and Bella snorted quietly.

"Sounds good," I grinned and held out my hand. She took it and I led us back to the locker room, leaving the lights off as we walked in. I dropped my equipment and pulled her to me, searching for her lips in the dark. My fingers found the skin between her t-shirt and jeans and she leaned into me, tangling her fingers in my hair and pulling me closer. I carefully walked us backward until she was pressed against the lockers and we were both gasping for air.

"We're going to get caught," she breathed.

"And…?" I countered leaning down to kiss her again.

"_Edward_." She groaned and pushed me away.

"I know." I sighed and pressed my head to hers. She wrapped her arms around me.

"You really do reek," Bella whispered. I laughed loudly- then stopped short as the lights came on.

We froze and stared at each other in horror.

"Oh, shit. Sorry, Cullen." I heard Newton's voice and a few other guys laugh.

"Don't move, Edward. Please." Bella looked at me with pleading eyes. I sighed and pressed my forehead to hers.

"It will be fine," I whispered. "I promise."

"What's going on?" Emmett's voice caused both of us to jump.

"Now or never," I told her. She cringed as I pulled away from her and turned to face my best friend.

"What – what the fuck is this?" Emmett yelled. Bella stepped in front of me, holding her hands up.

"Emmett - " she started to speak but Emmett interrupted her and nearly pushed her out of the way.

"Listen, Em," I tried to explain but he pushed me into the locker I just had his little sister pressed up against.

"Listen? You're banging my little sister and you want me to _listen_? Fuck you, Cullen. I'm gonna fucking kill you!" He lunged at me, his fist connecting with my face before I had the chance to move out of the way. My head hit the cold metal of the lockers and I fell to the ground with Emmett's form looming over me.

"It's not like that," I said as I massaged my jaw. Emmett bent down and gripped my shirt, pulling me up and slamming me into the lockers.

"Emmett! Stop it!" Bella yelled from behind him.

"Stay out of this!" He enunciated his words by slamming me into the lockers again.

"We wanted to tell you. We should have told you a long time ago."

"How long as this been going on?" he asked with his face close to mine, his brown eyes livid.

"A while," I confessed.

"I'll reiterate, I'm going to fucking kill you."

"That's enough, man." Newton grabbed Emmett's arm and Eric Yorkie appeared at his other side. He looked from both of them back to me, disgust written all over his face. Emmett let go of me.

"This isn't over. Let's go, Bella." He grabbed his bag and headed to the door, turning around to see that Bella hadn't followed. Instead she stood next to me, her hand on my face with disappointment written clearly all over hers.

"I'm not going with you," Bella said softly.

Emmett glared at her and then me before sighing deeply.

"Whatever," he said as he flung open the door, letting it slam into the wall.

We watched him walk away and Bella's hand traveled down my arm until her fingers were laced with mine.

"Let's go," she pleaded, and tugged my hand. I grabbed my bag and followed her, eager to leave. The guys looked away pointedly as we walked out though I knew I'd be hearing it from them later.

"I'm sorry," I whispered once we'd reached the car. Bella shook her head and bit her lip. I sighed, knowing what was coming, and pulled her into my arms.

"It's not your fault," she hiccupped into my chest.

"I should have been up front with him. We shouldn't have been sneaking around," I said into her hair.

"It was fun." I felt her shrug. I laughed softly and tipped her face up so I could kiss her.

"It was," I agreed. She held me tightly, neither of us wanting to move until we started hearing the voices of the crowd that was finally dispersing.

"I'll take you home." I pulled away. She nodded again and got in the car without another word.

We were silent on the drive, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I didn't know what this would mean for us or for my friendship with Emmett. I shouldn't have lied to him, but then again, he could have reacted the same way had I been upfront with him.

"Should I come in?" I asked once we'd reached the house.

"I don't think so," she answered quietly. "I'll call you later."

"Okay," I leaned over to open her door and she captured my face with her hands. She kissed me softly, holding me to her like I was going to run away or something.

"Goodnight," Bella whispered, and finally pulled away to get out of the car. I watched her as she walked away, nervous about whatever was going to happen inside.

BPOV

I watched Edward drive away with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I wasn't worried about what was going to happen inside, I was more worried about what was going to happen between Edward and me.

Emmett was standing at the foot of the stairs when I opened the door.

"I'm not in the mood, Emmett," I sighed and tried to push past him.

"I don't really care," he said as he stretched his arm out blocking my path.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Emmett."

"Well, I'd really like to know what in the fuck you are thinking!" he yelled.

"Language, Emmett," Sue's voice came from behind me.

"Do you know what she's been doing with _him_?" Emmett said with a look of disgust on his face. Sue crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I haven't been doing _anything_!" I cried, looking between Sue and Emmett. "And if I had been doing anything with Edward it wouldn't be any of _your_ business, Emmett!"

"Yes, it would! You're my sister! He's my best friend!"

"So, what? Are you jealous? Is that what this is about?"

"No, it's about my _baby_ sister screwing around with someone who is too old and too… too…"

"Exactly. There's nothing wrong with him," I said. Emmett dropped his arm when Dad walked in behind Sue. "And for the record Emmett, I'm seventeen. I'm not your _baby_ sister. It's a shame that Edward can see it and you can't."

"She's right, you know." I heard my dad say as I made my way upstairs. I hoped the slamming of the door let my _big_ brother know exactly how I felt.

Breakfast was silent the next morning. Emmett glared at me over Cheerios so I ignored him and talked to Seth instead.

"Did you see Edward play last night, Izzy?" he asked through a mouthful or cereal.

"I did," I said. I sipped my coffee and avoided Emmett's glare. I was pretty sure I could _feel_ him staring at me. Like, burning a hole in my skull or something.

"He was great, wasn't he? I mean, he can run really fast!" Seth said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, he's gonna need to…" Emmett muttered. Seth looked at him questioningly.

"Ignore Emmett; he's in a bad mood." I mussed Seth's hair and cleaned up our bowls, leaving Emmett's on the table. "You want to hang out with Edward today?"

"Yes!" he yelled.

"Get dressed," I told him before I left to get dressed. It took me a moment to realize that I'd just told Seth to _get dressed_. That he'd been in his pajamas at the breakfast table. That meant that…

I didn't have time to finish my thoughts because my dad and Sue were coming out of his bedroom. Together.

"Oh, don't let Emmett see. He'll lecture you about living in sin or something," I said before I could stop myself.

"Um… Sue came over this morning?"

"Right. And Seth is still in his PJs why…? I was born at night, Dad, but it wasn't last night."

Sue snorted and Dad turned bright red.

"You weren't born at night, for the record."

"Yeah, yeah. Can you take Seth and me to Edward's?"

"Is that such a good idea?" Dad raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged and pushed past him.

"Sounds like a good idea to me!" Seth called as he tumbled back down the stairs.

EPOV

"Is Izzy your girlfriend?" Seth's question caused me to stumble as we made our way to the river behind my house.

"Um, I don't know, kid. It's kind of complicated," I said. He frowned up at me.

"Do you like her?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Then why isn't she your girlfriend?"

"Because Emmett will be mad at me." I sighed.

"So?"

"Alright, kid. Enough about it." I mussed his hair and handed him the fishing pole I'd been carrying.

"I just don't get why he'd be mad at you. You're his best friend," Seth said as he cast his line perfectly. Clearly, Charlie had taught him well.

"I think that's the problem, buddy," I muttered and tried to untangle the backlash from my own cast. I obviously needed more practice.

"Oh, maybe he thinks you won't hang out with him as much. You should tell him he'll still be your best friend." Seth nodded seriously.

"I wish it were that easy, dude." I tried to cast again before I finally just gave up and sat on the bank of the river to watch Seth fish. I was glad Bella had brought him over, or used him as an excuse to see me, whichever. He was a cool kid but he immediately demanded my attention and Bella was left to fend for herself with my mother in the kitchen.

After about half an hour all Seth had caught was some river grass and an old Coke can, so we headed back inside. Bella was standing in the kitchen wearing one of Mom's flowered aprons. I kissed her forehead and wiped a bit of flour off her cheek.

"Catch anything?" she asked when Seth followed behind me and settled himself at the island.

"No," he grumbled. "Edward didn't even try."

"Hey, I didn't want the fish to be distracted by me," I said as I rummaged through the fridge. He laughed and caught the juice box I threw at him. Mom had taken to filling the fridge with more "kid friendly" snacks since Seth and Leah started coming around. I think she was Charlie and Sue's biggest advocate.

"You're funny," he said. I saw Bella smile out of the corner of my eye.

"Don't tell him that, you'll never hear the end of his stupid jokes." Alice's voice caused us all to turn to the doorway of the kitchen.

"My jokes are not stupid." I feigned hurt and she grinned.

"Are too," Bella agreed. I frowned at her while she took the loaves of bread she and Mom had been making from the oven. I tried to touch them but she slapped my hand away.

"Hot!"

"You're sweet," I winked, and she rolled her eyes.

"Not you, jackass." Bella pushed me away but I wrapped an arm around her waist and hugged her to me.

"Enough, guys, just because the cat's out of the bag doesn't mean you can get all gross on us," Alice said from behind us. I turned to flip her off before I remembered Seth was in the room.

"Fine," I sighed and released Bella. "C'mon Seth, let's see what's on TV and let the woman do the cooking." I lifted him off the stool and threw him over my shoulder while Alice and Bella protested. Seth laughed and I tossed him on the couch and started flipping channels. When my sister and Bella finished in the kitchen they joined us, Bella close to my side, her fingers intertwined with mine.

It wasn't long after Mom brought out the banana bread that she and Bella had made that the doorbell rang, though Seth was the first one to jump up to get it. I followed him, not knowing who to expect. I realized too late that I should have just let the kid answer the door.

Emmett stood on the porch, his arms crossed in front of him and a scowl on his face.

"I'm here to pick up the kids." I winced slightly at his harsh tone and the fact that he'd just called Bella a _kid_. Apparently punching me in the face wasn't enough.

"C'mon in." I pulled Seth aside with me but Emmett didn't move.

"I'll wait in the truck. Let's go, Shrimp." He nodded his head toward Seth who turned to me with wide eyes.

"It's cool, kid. I'll see you later." I patted his shoulder and pushed him out the door. Seth gave an awkward wave as he followed Emmett.

"Emmett's here," I called as I made my way back to the living room. Bella's face wore a scowl that challenged Emmett's and I recoiled slightly at the look and how alike their faces were.

"What does he want?"

"I guess he's here to pick you guys up," I shrugged. Alice gave me a sympathetic look while Bella gathered her things. I walked her to the door and down the porch steps. "I'm glad you came over." She touched my bruised jaw softly then leaned up to kiss me. I heard the engine of Emmett's truck rev as she pulled away with a slight smirk.

"You're playing with fire, Bella Swan."

"Oh, I know." She smiled widely at me before turning away and practically skipping to the truck.

She was playing with fire.

We both were.


	7. This Might Hurt a Little

**Disclaimer: Stephenie owns. **

**If you're still reading this consider this ((hug)) for you. I know it was a long wait between chapters and I'm sorry about that. I have the rest of the story outlined already. Thanks again for reading and leaving a review to let me know you're still around. I appreciate it. **

**Also, this is not beta'd so any mistakes... just ignore, 'kay? **

**XO**

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Chapter 7 – This Might Hurt a Little

"What do you think he's going to do when he finds me here?" Edward asked. I shrugged and slung my legs over his lap, pulling my worn out copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ off of the coffee table and settling into the couch. By the Monday after the game everyone had heard about Edward and me. The glares I received walking down the hall were not surprising. They _were_ a little flattering, however. By Thursday the rumor was that we'd run away together and gotten married because I was pregnant.

"Dad knows you're here and we aren't doing anything, so who cares?"

"Emmett." He said dryly. "I think he's going trying to kill me."

"Edward," I groaned.

"Seriously! You should have seen the shit he was throwing at practice. It was awful."

"You're so whiny," I nudged him with my foot. He grabbed it and tickled me until we ended up in a tangled mess on the couch. He kissed me softly just as the door slammed.

"Jesus. Not even safe in my own fucking house." Emmett's voice rang out loud and clear. I pushed Edward off of me and sat up quickly, ready to defend myself. Emmett had already made it upstairs.

"This is not good." I muttered.

Edward frowned. "I don't know what to do."

"You should probably leave." I sighed as I stood up. He followed suit and led me to the door.

"I'll call you later?" he asked. I nodded and leaned up to kiss him while simultaneously pushing him out the door.

"Good_bye_." I laughed when he tried to wrap me in his arms. He pouted and stalked down the stairs then he threw me a quick smile and got in his car.

I closed the door and slowly made it up to Emmett's room. I knocked twice before opening the door to find Emmett lying on his bed tossing a football up and down.

"Is he gone?" my brother grumbled.

"Yes." I sat in his desk chair and stared at him until he stopped tossing the ball and sat up.

"What?" he asked. His brown eyes were devoid of any emotion and it made my blood run cold. I'd never seen him so… callous.

"I just wanted to talk to you. To explain…" I trailed off when his eyes widened and smirk crossed his face.

"You wanted to explain what? That you've been screwing around with my best friend? That the two people I trust most in the world have been lying to me for months?"

"Emmett, please - " I tried to explain but he cut me off.

"No, Iz. I just can't right now."

"Not even if I tell you how happy he makes me?" I asked hopefully.

"Not even then." Emmett gave me a look that pointedly said _get out._ I left before my big brother could see the tears in my eyes.

I locked myself in my room after that, refusing to come down for dinner and falling asleep before the rest of the family. The house was dark and quiet when I woke up, the creaking of it the only noise. I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen. I flipped on the lights and made myself a bowl of cereal. A few minutes later quiet footsteps caused me to look up from the bowl of mush my cereal had become.

"Hi Daddy." I whispered. He took the seat across from me and looked at me with sleepy eyes.

"A little late for porridge, isn't it Goldilocks?"

"I slept through dinner." I mumbled and pushed my cereal around.

"I know you did. There was a little Bella shaped hole at the dinner table. Don't worry, though. We gave yours to Seth, the kid can't stop eating."

"Glad I could help." I smiled.

"Good. Now tell your old dad what's wrong."

"Emmett's mad at me," I said as tears sprung to my eyes.

"He's just hurt, Bella. Give him some time."

"I know. But he's mad at Edward too and I just want to make it better for everyone."

"Edward's a big boy. He can handle himself."

"He _hit_ Edward, Dad. They've been best friends since they were two and he _punched _him."

"Emmett takes his duties as a big brother very seriously."

"I know," I sighed. "But he's never… he's never hit _anyone_."

"Bella, I don't know what to tell you. The three of you need to figure it out."

"But Emmett won't talk to us!" I cried.

"Sorry, kid." He kissed my head and put my dirty bowl in the sink. "You and Edward are smart. You'll know what to do."

Dad left me with my thoughts in the kitchen. Once I'd talked myself _out_ of calling Edward I went back to bed, knowing that whatever I needed to say I could do so in the morning.

xXx

EPOV

Sue had answered the night before when I called Bella and let me know she was already in bed. I was a little worried because it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. I tried not to think about it though while I sat in my room studying. My parents and Alice had been nothing but supportive over the passed week but none of them had anything to offer when it came to Emmett. I knew he was upset. He, of course, had every right to be.

We had lied and snuck around, unsure of how people would react to our relationship. Bella and I knew the longer we did it the harder it would be.

Alice tried to pull me out of my funk all morning. It wasn't until I saw Bella that I began to feel a little bit better.

"Hi," I said before leaning in and kissing her softly. Being near her made all the tension I'd been feeling melt away. She leaned into me and sighed. "I called you."

"I know," she replied with a frown. "I'm sorry. Things just… didn't go very well."

"I'm sorry," I told her before kissing her again. "How can I help?" I asked and pulled her closer to me.

"Keep doing that?" she whispered into my shirt then smiled up at me.

"Whatever you need." I grinned.

"_Disgusting_." My best friend's voice rang out through the hallway. I shook my head but pulled away from Bella anyways.

"We should get to class. Want me to walk you?" I held out my hand but she shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

"No. No, I'll be fine." Bella gave my hand a quick squeeze before darting off through the crowd.

I watched her until she disappeared around a corner then turned to go to my own class. The day passed slowly, without much of Bella at all. I spent my lunch hour in the library and didn't have time to talk to her before I had to go to practice.

Practice was, for lack of a better word, a disaster. I wasn't kidding with Bella when I told her Emmett was trying to kill me. He was throwing shit I couldn't catch or wasting enough time that I was getting tackled left and right. Coach spent most of the time yelling at _me. _

"Cullen, either get your head out of your ass or get off my field!" he yelled as Eric and Mike picked me up from the fifty yard line. It was nice of them considering they were the ones that plowed me down.

"He's just tired from his late night rendezvous with my kid sister." Emmett smirked and pulled his helmet off to take a drink of water.

"_Kid_? She's fucking _seventeen_, Emmett."

"And? She's a kid."

"Oh, so I guess that junior you met from Port Angeles _wasn't_ a kid? Or is just different because it's you?"

"Fuck you, Cullen. I can finish what I started in the locker room if you want me to break your pretty face some more."

"You know what, Emmett? Do whatever you want." I threw my hands up, daring him to do whatever the hell he wanted. He didn't move. I threw my helmet on the ground next to the bench and turned to Coach Clapp.

"I quit."

"You – you can't quit! You're my best running back!" Coach sputtered.

"Well, I can't run anything if the quarterback refuses to throw to me, Coach." I said before stalking off the field. No one followed me, but it wasn't as if I'd expected them to.

I showered and dressed quickly, leaving all my equipment in the floor of the locker room. It took me less than five minutes to get to Bella's house which probably wasn't the best way to get on Chief Swan's good side. She was sitting outside under a tree that we'd spent time under before.

"What's wrong?" Bella stood up as I got out of the car. I pulled her against me, needing the feel her and know that we weren't totally fucked up.

"I quit the team." I said into her hair.

"Edward," she sighed my name and I closed my eyes.

"He's so angry, Iz. I don't know what to do. Nothing I say makes it better."

"Are you trying to make it better? Or are you goading him?"

"What's that mean? You know I wouldn't do that." I pulled away and she frowned. But then again, I was kind of goading him…

"I mean… I don't know. I don't know anything right now."

"I just didn't think he'd be so angry," I grumbled and pulled her down into the grass with me.

"Me either."

"Maybe… maybe we should cool it for a while. Take a break. Give him some time to think about it." I told her, even though it killed me to say it.

I didn't want to cause trouble between Bella and her brother. They had always been so close and now everything was so fucked up.

"Is – is that what you want?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, not daring to look at her. "I just…"

"I get it. It's fine." Bella stood up again and brushed off her jeans. "You should go home. Emmett will be here soon."

"Bella."

"No, Edward. Please go," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "It'll be easier that way."

"I'll call you tonight."

"Sure. Yeah, that's fine." Bella turned away and walked quickly back to the house. I flinched at the sound of the door slamming. I got in my car with a heavy heart, knowing that taking a break was the right thing to do.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

I was totally fucked.

xXx

BPOV

Take a break.

He wanted to take a break. What the hell did that even mean? That morning he'd hugged me like I was the greatest thing to ever happen to him. Then he wanted to take a break.

Most of me _knew_ why Edward said it, what his reasoning was. But that little part of me that had waited for so long to actually be _something_ with him was really, really pissed off.

When Emmett came home I was lying in bed staring at the pages of a book. I'd been there for over an hour looking at the same page.

"Your boy quit on me today. Is that the kind of guy you want to be with?" He asked from my doorway with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, well… he quit on me too." I muttered and tossed my book on the floor. "Close the door, please."

"What do you mean?" Emmett's voice was concerned for the first time all week.

"Close the door, Emmett." I said more loudly, knowing clear well that wasn't what he meant. I turned my back on him and waited until I heard the door closed before I let my tears fall.

When the phone rang that night I beat everyone to it, hoping it was Edward.

It wasn't.

It was Emmett's friend Sam inviting us to a bonfire at First Beach the next night. After Emmett agreed he set out calling all of his friends. I went back to my room to wallow some more. I hoped that a night out _away_ from Edward would help me earn some perspective on his _break. _And maybe help it to not hurt so much.

xXx

EPOV

"Why are we going to this thing again?" I asked my sister as I drove to First Beach.

"Be_cause_ Edward," she said like it was the most obvious thing on Earth. "The Quileute boys never invite us to anything. It's like… monumental or something."

"Fantastic." I muttered. I knew, of course, why I was going. I was going because Sam was Emmett's friend. And if Emmett was going then Bella would be there. Maybe, if Emmett saw us together he'd be happy for us… or something.

That was if Bella was still speaking to me.

"C'mon. Bella will be there and you can apologize for whatever stupid thing you did that's got you so upset." _Stupid, mindreading sister. _

I frowned. "How do you know I was the stupid one?"

Alice laughed. "Edward, please."

"Yeah, I know." I sighed. I was the stupid one. I didn't want to take a break. I wanted Emmett to get over whatever was bothering him and stop being a dick to everyone.

I didn't see Bella when we got to the beach. Most of the football team was there with a few cheerleaders and other upperclassmen scattered around. I recognized Sam and his friends in a group with Emmett. Jacob Black, Bella's childhood friend was standing just outside the fire talking to someone I couldn't see. He gave me a brief nod then turned back to his conversation.

I grabbed a drink from one of the coolers that surrounded the place and briefly wondered how they'd managed to get so much alcohol. Not that I was complaining. Vitamin R may have been cheap but it did the trick.

I hadn't been there ten minutes before Emmett found me and clapped a hand roughly on my shoulder.

"Let's talk, Cullen." He steered me back to the drinks and handed me a fresh can. "We need you on the team. The championship is next week and you can't walk out on us."

"Like I said, I can't run the ball if you're going to be a dick about every fucking play." I shrugged.

"Fine. Coach said if you don't come back we're forfeiting the game." Emmett frowned.

"You're kidding me." I rolled my eyes and drained the last of my beer.

"No. And he said something about you and I getting back together which I'm pretty sure was a gay joke."

"Clearly." I scoffed.

"Great. So I'll see you at practice Monday."

"Whatever."

"That's the spirit!" He patted me on the back again and joined Sam and his friends once more.

"This party blows." I grumbled.

"It's not so bad." Lauren Mallory's voice came from behind me. It was the equivalent to nails on a chalkboard to me. Ever since she tried to shove her tongue down my throat at Bella's birthday part I'd made it a point to stay away from her.

"Have you seen Bella?"

"Oh, yeah. She's over there with that cute Rez kid." Lauren pointed one of her talons to where I'd seen Jacob earlier. I took off around the crowd until I saw them. Their backs were to me, both of them facing the fire.

I saw Bella's shoulders shake and I wanted to go to her, to comfort her and tell her I was sorry. It took a moment for me to realize that she wasn't crying. She was laughing. The fire lit up her pretty face and exuberant smile.

I felt like my stomach had turned to ice.

When Jacob's arm slipped around her shoulders I willed my feet to stay rooted in the sand and not rip his arm off.

Instead I narrowed my eyes and turned away from, intent on getting the fuck out of there.

"Where are you going?" Alice grabbed my arm as I rushed passed her.

"Home. You coming?" I asked and wrenched my arm out of her grip.

"Have you been drinking? You can't drive!" she yelled.

"I'm _fine_." I said through clenched teeth. I shouldn't have even thought about driving. I was too pissed, not too drunk.

"I'll drive you." Alice finally gave in and followed me back to the car, practically running to keep up.

I tossed her the keys and climbed in the passenger seat. I laughed as she adjusted the seat and the steering wheel.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked when we'd pulled into our driveway.

"No." I muttered and crossed my arms in front of me.

"You're acting like a child, Edward."

"Well, I'm mad." I grumbled. My sister laughed.

"What happened?"

"I told Bella we should take a break to let Emmett get used to the idea of us… and then she was with that Black kid…"

"Oh, Edward. I doubt it was that way at all. They're friends!"

"Well, she and I were friends once too." I muttered as images of Bella and Jacob together rolled through my head.

"Now you're just being stupid."

"Fantastic. Thank you for being so supportive." I rolled my eyes and hit the dashboard with my hand.

"God, Edward. You're such a drama queen!" Alice yelled as she slammed the car door. I didn't get out of the car.

She was right, I was being dramatic.

I was also being an asshole.

xXx

BPOV

"Thanks for driving me home, Jake." I said when Jacob's beat up Volkswagen pulled into my driveway.

"No problem. I know how Emmett and Sam can get when they are together."

"Yeah, stupid." I laughed.

"You want me to walk you up?" He asked with hopeful dark eyes.

"No, thanks though. And thanks for listening to me tonight."

"You're welcome. I hope you get everything figured out." Jacob smiled sincerely. I felt tears prick my eyes as I nodded and leaned over to hug him.

"Me too." I whispered. I got out quickly and gave Jacob a quick wave before heading up the drive to the front door. Upstairs I dressed slowly and climbed into bed, wishing that Edward would call or show up or_ something. _I hadn't seen him at the beach and I wondered if he'd even showed up, if he even tried to find me.

When I finally gave up on him, I fell into a fitful sleep. For the first time since Edward and I started seeing each other I was scared that things might not actually work out between us.


	8. Repairs

**Stephenie owns. Killerlashes beta'd. Thanks for sticking with me. :) **

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Chapter 8 – Repairs

EPOV

Practice on Monday was brutal. Emmett had finally stopped trying to get me killed, but only because the state championship was that Friday. I didn't talk to Bella the rest of the weekend. I didn't talk to anyone, to be honest. I mostly sulked in my room, running over plays or studying; I only went downstairs to eat when my stomach threatened to eat itself. It occurred to me at some point that I was being a piece of shit and if I'd just call Bella, we could work things out. Part of me was too ashamed to talk to her, too angry at myself at what I'd said to her. The rest of me just wanted to fix everything…with everyone.

"Good practice, Ed." Emmett clapped me on the shoulder once we were in the locker room. I nodded but didn't say anything and tried to ignore the guys around me.

"So, Cullen. I hear Bella's back on the market again. You don't mind if I…" Tyler trailed off when Emmett and I both turned to glare at him.

"Shut up!" we said simultaneously. I dressed quickly after that and left, slamming my locker on the way out and shoving past Tyler. I took a deep breath once I reached the parking lot, not realizing that I hadn't been breathing. Thinking about Bella with someone else made my stomach turn and I had no one to blame but myself.

"Hey." Bella's voice interrupted me from my thoughts. I'd spent the walk to my car scowling at my feet and hadn't noticed her leaning against it.

"Hi." I threw my stuff in the backseat and rested my hand on top of the car next to hers.

"I've been thinking about what you said," she said quietly.

I dropped my hand and leaned against the car next to her. "Oh."

"I think you're right. We should… take a break. Let things settle down for a while."

"Iz..." I said her name and tried to brush her hair away from her face.

"Please don't," she whispered and moved away before I could touch her.

"It was a stupid idea, I shouldn't have said it." I raked a hand through my hair and stepped away to give her some space.

"But you _did _say it. And…maybe you're right."

"I'm not. I'm never right. You _know_ I'm never right," I said, my voice raising an octave.

She shook her head slowly and I balled my hands into fists so as not to touch her. "I just don't want anyone to be mad at us, you know? Especially Emmett."

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have said we should take a break though. I don't think it will help. And, let me be honest here, I'm lost without you," I told her with a half-smile.

"It's only been two days," she said softly, a small smile playing at her lips.

"So?" I asked. I reached for her again and this time she let me brush a stray strand of hair away from her face.

"Okay, fine. Maybe we'll just keep it quiet."

I frowned down at her. "That's what got us here in the first place." She sighed and rested her head against my chest. I kissed the top of her head and wrapped my arms around her.

"I don't know what to do," she sniffed quietly.

"We'll figure it out. But we'll do it together," I reassured her. She nodded and wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning up to kiss me.

"Okay," she whispered against my lips.

"I should probably go before Emmett gets out here, though." I kissed her cheek and pulled away from her.

"You coward!" Bella smacked me on the arm.

I laughed and dodged her second attempt. "Fine! I'll take you home, though. I don't want to get my ass kicked in the parking lot."

"Poor baby." Bella leaned up and kissed my jaw.

I gave her a wry smile and a small push to the passenger side. "Get your rude ass in the car."

"So touchy," she grumbled. I drove her home and went inside when I saw that Charlie and Sue were both home. We figured if they were both there Emmett couldn't yell at us. It was a bit cowardly on our part but smart nonetheless.

I know Bella and I both felt a little guilty about putting Charlie and Sue in the middle of our situation with Emmett. I also know how selfish we thought we were being. Truth was - we wanted to be together. It took me two days of _not_ being together to understand that.

"Are you staying for dinner, Edward?" Sue asked when she came into the living where Seth was laying across mine and Bella's laps. He'd thought it was funny to jump off the end of the couch and dive-bomb us.

"No, I need to get home soon. Thank you though," I said as I tickled Seth until he couldn't breathe.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. But if you make him throw up you'll be responsible for cleaning it," she said with a smile.

I stopped tickling him and glanced down. Seth gave me a shrug.

"I puke when I get excited," he said with a laugh.

"Gross, kid." I pushed him off me and stood up. He scrambled off the couch and ran into the kitchen.

"I've got to get home." I held out my hand to Bella to help her off the couch.

"I'm glad we worked this out," she whispered as she hugged me tightly.

"Me too. I'll call you later," I said before I kissed her forehead and let myself out.

It was a few hours later, after dinner had been eaten and cleaned up, that my mother knocked on my door. She smiled at me when I looked up from my Econ book.

"You have a visitor," she said. I closed my book and kissed her cheek as I walked out of my room. I knew it was Bella by the smile on my mother's face though I had no idea why she was there.

When I opened the door, I knew why. Bella gave me a sad smile, her eyes red-rimmed and her cheeks splotchy. I pulled her to me and she buried her face in my chest, a little sob shaking her body.

"I don't know why he's so mad at me, Edward," she whispered. I sighed into her hair and gently pushed her away.

"I'll talk to him," I said and she frowned.

"He won't listen."

"I'm his best friend." I shrugged.

"Which is why he won't listen."

"C'mon." I tugged her toward Emmett's truck and helped her in the passenger side, then got in the driver's seat. Bella was silent as we drove to her house. I knew she thought it was a bad idea but I wanted to do right by her.

We found Emmett in the living room with Sue and the kids; Charlie was apparently working the night shift.

"I need to talk to you," I said. He looked up from the game he was playing with Leah and Bella grasped my hand tightly.

"Outside." He pushed his way past me. I gave Bella's hand a quick squeeze and followed him.

"Listen, Emmett. I know you're angry at us, but you have to see what you're doing to her."

"What about what you did to her? Like she wasn't crying her eyes out two days ago!"

"I know that! I'm an idiot! That's why I'm here now, damn." I threw my hands up. "I'm crazy about her, Emmett. I'm not sleeping with her; I'm not fucking around on her. I'm fucking head over heels and she feels the same way, okay?"

"You love her?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know. Maybe. Fuck, Emmett. I've never felt like this before."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I guess we got caught up in everything…"

"That doesn't mean you should just skip over the fact that you're in a relationship with my kid sister!"

"Will you stop calling her that? She's not a kid."

"I can't help it. That's how I see her still."

"Is that why it bothers you so much?" I asked.

"No, dude. It bothers me because you've been my best friend since we were two and you lied to me for months!"

"Fine. Just stop taking it out on her." I pointed to the house then dropped my hand in defeat. "We're going to see each other and if that bothers you then I'm sorry."

"I hope it's worth it," Emmett called as I climbed the stairs back to the house.

"You know the answer to that," I shot back. I went back inside to get Bella and she drove me home. I don't know long we sat outside in the truck but I watched all the lights go off in my house and the porch light come on.

"I should go," she said into the dark. I wrapped my arms tighter around her and kissed her shoulder.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded and turned to kiss me before I slid out of the truck and closed the door. Bella hung her elbow out the window and I kissed her again. "Did you mean what you said? To Emmett?"

"What part?" I frowned.

"The part where this is worth it."

"Of course." I kissed her again and brushed my fingers over her cheeks. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I watched her drive off and climbed the steps to my house, then to my bedroom.

"Everything okay, sweetheart?" Mom asked when I reached the second floor.

"No, not really," I said with a sad smile.

"He'll come around, baby." She touched my cheek softly.

"'Night, Mom." I kissed her cheek and made my way to bed hoping that she was right.

xXx

BPOV

I drove home from Edward's feeling a little bit better about our situation. We were going to stick together no matter what. I knew he'd been scared before and that was understandable - Emmett was his best friend. But the fact that he came to me and apologized meant a lot. And that he stood up to my brother mean even more.

I shouldn't have been surprised when I found Emmett sitting on the front steps when I finally arrived home.

"Don't you have a curfew?" he asked rudely.

"Yep. I also have a father who, by the way, isn't you."

My brother shrugged. "I'm just looking out for you, Iz."

"No you aren't!" I cried, finally losing my cool. "You're being mean for no reason!"

"You _lied _to me! You snuck around behind my back for _months,_ Bella. Months."

"So, is it because I lied to you or because he's your best friend? Make up your mind so I know what to fix!" I yelled so loud the porch light turned on and I knew Dad was on the other side of the door.

"It's because we used to have a relationship where we talked to each other. Now… now I don't have either one of you," Emmett said sadly. I watched him hang his head and turn away. He opened the door and looked back at me. "I'm sorry I've been so hard on you."

"Em…" I started but he held up his hand to stop me.

"Tell Edward I'm sorry, too," he said and I nodded silently.

I watched my big brother, my hero for all my life, trudge silently up the stairs and close his bedroom door. I could feel Dad's eyes on me as I stood at the bottom of the stairs, my own eyes filled with tears.

"Well, looks like you got some answers…" Dad said quietly.

I glared at him and he chuckled, then kissed my head.

"Get some sleep, baby girl. It'll still be there tomorrow." I sighed and gave him a tight hug, knowing he was right. I didn't call Edward that night. Instead, I waited until he picked me up for school to tell him what Emmett had said. He was pensive on the drive to school, his hands gripping the steering wheel and his eyebrows furrowed.

"He said he was sorry?" Edward asked _again_ when he took my hand and we walked up to school.

"Yes," I said for what felt like the fiftieth time.

"Huh," he said (for what felt like the fiftieth time).

"Edward, just talk to him," I sighed. "Without yelling or being a caveman," I added just in case.

He frowned and leaned down to kiss me. "I'll see you at lunch, you ass."

I grinned and pushed him away, feeling lighter than I had in weeks and hoping it would last.

EPOV

"Can I talk to you?" I stood next to Emmett's seat on the bus and waited for an answer. He removed his headphones and gestured to the space next to him.

"Iz told me what you said the other night."

"I told her to," he said while looking at me like I was a complete idiot. I mean, I kind of was, but shit, he didn't have to look at me that way.

"I just - I never apologized to you. I know that it was fucked up for us to sneak around and…I'm sorry."

He nodded and looked away. "I get it, you know. I mean, I wouldn't pick anyone _but_ you for her."

"Really?" I asked, trying to tone down my stupid smile.

"Yeah, you guys are good for each other. I just didn't want to lose my two best friends." He shrugged and gave me a sad smile. I blew out a puff of air and leaned back against the seat.

"Plus," Emmett added after a moment, "I'd hate to have to break your kneecaps if you ever hurt her."

"That would suck," I muttered.

"So just… don't do anything stupid. Got it, Cullen?"

"Got it." I swallowed loudly and stood up ready to make my way back to my seat.

"Oh, and Edward?" I turned back to him and he gave me a grin.

"Don't be thinking about my sister while you're supposed to be catching footballs tonight, all right?"

"I'll try," I said with a small shrug.

Emmett shook his head and sat back down. I smiled to myself as I stumbled back to my seat, feeling like life had just taken a turn for the better.


	9. Three Little Words

**Hai. Stephenie owns, killerlashes beta'd. **

**Quick note: The final chapters will jump in time a little to specific things in the relationship in order to get to the beginning of Secrets, Lies, & Family Ties. I'm looking at about six more chapters. Thank you all so much for sticking with me. :)**

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Chapter 9 – Three Little Words

The state championship game was the last organized football game I ever played. We scraped a win, accepted our trophy, and returned home to celebrate. I, of course, was celebrating something other than winning a football game.

"Don't you want to go back to the party?" Bella asked quietly.

"Nope," I whispered and pressed my lips to the skin under her ear.

"But you played a great game, everyone wants to talk to you," she said, though the way she moved closer to me defied her words.

"But I only want to talk to _you_." I wrapped my arms tighter around her and felt her sigh against me.

"I just don't want to start… testing him so early," she said as she turned her face to mine. I nodded and kissed her, then helped her up from the floor of the creaky old treehouse in the ancient oak tree.

We walked back to my house hand in hand. My father and some of the other team dads had planned a party for after the game, win or lose. Half the town was at my house and Bella was right: people wanted to talk to me. That was no big deal: I dragged her along and made _her_ talk to them, too.

Finally, when it was after two in the morning, my mom and dad ushered everyone out, including Bella and Emmett. Bella did call when she got home, just as I was finishing cleaning the living room.

"You're still awake?" Her voice was surprised.

I laughed. "What were you expecting when you called?"

"Hm. I don't know." She yawned and gave a soft sigh. "I guess I just wanted to hear your voice."

"You just saw me twenty minutes ago," I said as I fell into bed with the cordless phone.

"I miss you already."

"Me too." I smiled.

"I should go to bed, though. I think Dad wants to take everyone fishing at the crack of dawn."

"Oh, have fun with that. I'll be here. Asleep."

"Rude," she said with a poorly stifled yawn.

"I know," I laughed. "We'll talk tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Bella grumbled and hung up the phone.

I fell asleep thinking about our future, and hoping this euphoria I was feeling wouldn't be fleeting.

xXx

February 14th

BPOV

I was nervous.

I never got nervous when I went out with Edward anymore, but I was definitely nervous about Valentine's Day. Alice was helping me get dressed, though I wasn't too keen on the idea of wearing pink. She insisted, though, and reminded me for the fifteenth time that it was Valentine's Day.

When I saw Edward's face I forgave her. He smiled as I walked down the stairs, like Freddie Prinze, Jr. in that movie where they remade the nerd girl. I wasn't necessarily the nerd girl, though. Just highly opposed to pink.

Edward took me to dinner and a movie in Port Angeles. We walked the pier and held hands. I fought saying what I'd wanted to say the whole time we were out. Like when Edward had hot chocolate residue on the corner of his mouth and tried to clean it off with his tongue. I laughed before I kissed it off, and his arms wrapped tightly around me. The look in his eyes told me he felt what I did, and I bit the words back for what felt like the millionth time that night.

I didn't say them. I just let him take my hand in his and tuck them into his pocket while we walked.

I'd hoped with all my heart that Edward felt the same way and that he wanted to say the same things to me. So I was nervous. I was nervous it was too soon and he would react badly, nervous that he wouldn't react at all.

The look on his face when I shoved the book in his hands and ran inside was priceless. I leaned against the door and listened to him drive away. My family all gave me weird looks as I skipped up the steps and got ready for bed. It wasn't much later that everyone had gone to bed and there was a gentle knocking on my window. I shouldn't have been surprised when he climbed inside and took me in his arms, but I was.

And when he said the words I'd been hoping to hear for weeks it felt as if my heart would explode from happiness.

"I love you, too," he whispered against my lips, making my stomach flutter with excitement. I kissed him, holding him to me, and trying to tie us both to the ground. It felt like we were floating away.

It was difficult to find us separated after that. There was no Edward without me, no me without Edward. Our parents worried that we were too serious so we reminded them that we were both (almost) adults, that we were honor students and very responsible. We also told them we weren't having sex, which was one of the most awkward conversations I'd ever had. Ever.

"Dad, I told you. We're not… I mean… do we really have to talk about this?" I buried my face in my hands at the kitchen table.

"Bella, I just want to make sure you aren't going to get yourself into trouble," Dad sighed.

"I know, Dad. Edward and I love each other but we aren't… there yet."

"God, this is awful," he grumbled as he sat down across from me.

"Daddy, I told you. You have nothing to worry about. I promise."

"I trust you, Bella. I do."

"And Edward?" I raised my eyebrows. Dad smiled a wry smile and nodded swiftly.

"And Edward. For now."

Our physical relationship didn't have time to be tested after that. Edward was applying to colleges; I was working and getting ready for finals. We saw each other mostly at school, and if we were at the other's houses it was to study.

"Have you heard from any schools yet?" I perched myself on the counter of Esme's pristine kitchen while Edward grabbed me a Coke. He held the cold can against my flesh, making me jump.

"Yes. A couple," he chuckled and opened the soda for me before handing it over.

"Which ones?"

"Uh, NYU and Stanford," he muttered and looked at his feet. So, one far away and one not-so-close. Crap.

"Oh."

"Yeah." He nodded and sipped my soda, leaning against the counter with his arm resting against my thigh.

"What are you going to do?" I rested my chin on his shoulder and felt him shrug.

"Dad really wants me to hold out for Dartmouth, but I think he's also still holding for medical school…"

"You crushed his dreams, Edward," I whispered and he laughed softly.

"He'll get over it."

"He just wants you to be happy." I ran my hand through the short hair at the back of his neck. He turned and kissed me, surprising me a little with the suddenness.

"You make me happy," he murmured against my lips.

"I don't think that's what your dad is thinking about," I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Let's hope not." He grinned and I smacked him lightly.

"Don't be gross."

"I applied to WSU," Edward said abruptly.

"What? You didn't tell me that!" I pushed him away and hopped down from the counter.

He shrugged. "I wanted to make sure I could get in. You know, in case you still had your heart set on going there."

"You want to go to college with me?" I smiled up at him.

"Well, technically… you'll go to college with _me_ because I'll be there first… or something."

I shoved him again, but he caught my arm and pulled me against his chest.

"I love you, Iz. I'd follow you anywhere."

"Me too," I whispered before kissing him softly. "Ditto."

I didn't know then that both of us would come to alter our feelings and go back on our word. I wished I could have known we would change our minds so completely that the road back would be a long and difficult one.

Maybe we could have changed things then.


	10. For the First Time

**Hi. Steph owns. Killerlashes makes the words better. **

**This story is nearly completely written so expect it to be finished in the next couple of weeks! Thanks for reading! **

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Chapter 10 – For the First Time

May 1999

"Ugh, that one has lace. No thank you," I said as I scowled at the bright yellow dress Alice had handed me. The lace overlay looked like my grandma Swan's tablecloth. Also, it was bright yellow. It was like she didn't know me at all.

"Bella, it's Edward's senior prom; you can't just wear your jeans." She rolled her eyes at me and tossed a dark purple number onto the pile I was already carrying.

"Don't tell me my business," I muttered and made my way to the dressing room. Dad had surrendered his credit card again for prom after I'd explained to him that it was _Edward's_ last year and that _Edward_ was really excited. Once he realized that _Edward_ hadn't deflowered his baby girl he had been a lot nicer to him.

I shuddered at the thought of that long-forgotten (more like repressed) conversation and pulled the dark purple dress on. The cool silk glided over my skin and hugged my curves (what I had of them anyways). It wasn't half-bad. Maybe this prom thing wasn't going to suck as much as I thought.

After the dress got Alice's approval and I picked out shoes and jewelry we made our way back to Forks in Edward's car. He was sitting on the couch watching baseball when we got back to their house.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Alice asked as she flitted through the living room.

"Dinner," he said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Hi." I kissed the back of his neck and wrapped my arms around him from behind.

"Hey," he muttered, less enthusiastically than I'd hoped for.

"What's up?"

"Shhh. Mariners. Playing." He leaned forward out of my grasp. I frowned and stood up. I'd just spent three hours shopping with his sister and he wanted to ignore me for a baseball game? No thank you.

I left Edward on the couch and went to find Alice but she had hopped in the shower. I called Emmett to pick me up and slipped into the kitchen to find something to eat. Edward joined me a few minutes later, looking forlorn.

"Hey," he said as he leaned down to kiss me. I turned my face away from him so that his kiss landed on my cheek, and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "What's that all about?"

"You ignored me." I took a sip of my soda and tried to ignore _him_.

"When?" he frowned.

"Just now," I snapped as I turned to him. Edward looked confused and I almost laughed. "Do you not remember me _just _walking into the living room?"

"Iz, the Mariners were playing."

"Which is exactly what you said." I tried not to laugh as his obvious lack of understanding.

"Oh, well…I forgot?"

"Were you that interested in a baseball game that you don't remember what just happened?"

"I – maybe?" he ran a hand through his hair and I couldn't hold my laughter anymore. Part of me was a little disappointed that my so-called perfect boyfriend was not-so-perfect anymore. "Don't laugh at me."

"Aw, I'm sorry. I just didn't think I'd ever see a day where baseball would be more important than me," I shrugged.

Edward smiled and pulled me against him. He pressed his lips to mine gently and I smiled. "Only when the Mariners are playing," he whispered. I pushed him away and poked him in the chest. He rubbed the spot with a grimace.

"Anybody home?" I heard Emmett call and the door slam behind him.

Edward sighed. "Now we can't make out," he said with a pout.

"Sorry, you should have thought about that before you ignored me for men in tight pants," I replied as I leaned up to kiss him again. "Maybe next time, kid."

"Whatever," he muttered and smacked my backside lightly. "Go home so I can spend some quality time with them."

"You're gross, you know?"

"You love me." He winked.

"I do," I sighed, and kissed him again before leaving him in the kitchen to go home with my brother. I was disappointed that we didn't get to talk about prom, though a part of me was glad, too. Considering what usually happened at prom-well, what happened _after_ prom, really…I was freaking out a little bit.

Edward hadn't put any pressure on me about sex. Well, considering most of our experience was with each other there was really no need for pressure, anyways. We'd fooled around enough that we knew our limits and, though we'd come very close a couple of times, one of us always backed away before anything actually happened. Sex wasn't something that we wasted conversation on. We knew it would happen eventually but we just didn't know when. Prom seemed like a perfectly cliché place for it to happen.

The week before prom was so packed with Alice's last-minute beauty treatments I shouldn't have had time to think about whether or not I was going to lose my virginity with half the high school population, but somehow I managed to obsess about it all the same. Hey, I'd seen _American Pie_, I knew what was up.

By the time that fateful Friday night had arrived, I'd lost three pounds worrying about it while Edward didn't seem to have a care in the world. My brother had gotten a hotel room with a bunch of his friends but Edward never mentioned participating in their party. I wasn't even sure how Emmett had kept everything a secret from Dad, but he'd done it. A few of the other seniors had gotten a limo and met up at the Cullens' house to take pictures and leave from there. Alice had talked her parents into taking her to Seattle for the weekend instead of going to the dance. I was sad my best friend wouldn't be there to make sure I didn't make a fool out of myself.

Edward spent most of the night looking at me with a big, stupid smile. It was almost as if he knew he was going to get laid. Maybe.

"Have you been drinking?" I asked once I'd pulled him to the side.

"No," he answered and kissed my cheek. "You just look…really beautiful."

I felt myself blush as I leaned into his side and kissed him in a silent _thank you._ Truth be told, Edward in a tux was quite a vision himself. His hair had been smoothed down from its usual disarray and the crisp black lines of the suit fit him wonderfully.

Yeah, he was definitely getting laid.

Prom itself didn't hold much interest for either one of us. We danced a few times, but being so close to one another in a crowd of people was…difficult. So, Edward and I spent most of the time in a dark corner talking quietly about our future. Not the immediate we-really-want-to-do-it future; the long-term, summer plans, going off to school in the fall, future.

"So, I've signed up for some summer classes and we've got the townhouse ready. I might try and get some roommates for the fall, I'm not sure yet."

"Will you work?" I asked, not really caring about the answer. Edward's fingers were drawing small circles on my palm and the feel of his skin against mine was making me dizzy.

"I'm not sure yet. I want to. I don't want to live off Mom and Dad. I just know it will be hard while I adjust to classes." He frowned and leaned over to kiss my exposed shoulder and then my neck, ultimately ending our conversation.

I pulled back and looked at him then, all innocent green eyes and sappy smile. My heart stuttered violently as I pulled his face to mine.

"I love you," I told him earnestly. He nodded, assuming I was upset because we were talking about him leaving.

"I know. It's going to be fine. I promise." He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and pulled me to him again.

"Let's get out of here," I whispered. His eyes widened as he comprehended what I hadn't said.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," I breathed the word as he helped me up from where I'd been sitting. He glanced around before leading me out the side door of the gym and into the parking lot. Edward talked the limo driver into taking us back to his house (I was convinced a huge tip allowed that decision to be made) and then the driver went back to the school.

Edward led me into the house and up the stairs until we reached his bedroom. He closed the door and looked at me nervously, the only light in the room spilling in from the moon.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped to him, determined to see this through. I ran my hands up his chest and removed his jacket, letting it fall haphazardly on the floor. Edward's fingers moved up my arms until they skated across my shoulders and tangled in my hair as he brought my lips to his. I fumbled nervously with his black tie and the buttons of his shirt until he was helping me yank it from his pants and tug it off of his shoulders.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips. I nodded and kissed him feeling his nervous hands tug at the zipper of my dress. "Are you sure?" he asked again. I laughed breathlessly and pulled us toward the bed as he slid the straps of my dress off my shoulders and it fell to my feet. I climbed onto his bed; the very same one where we'd innocently cuddled as friends and had plenty of hot and heavy makeout sessions.

Edward stood at the edge of the bed, his eyes on me as I lay half naked on his bed. He tugged his undershirt over his head and made quick work of his black dress pants before making his way to me.

He brushed my hair from my face and pressed his forehead to mine.

"We don't have to…"

"I want to. I want you." I pulled him over me until our bodies were pressed together and he was kissing me again. His hands ran over my body, across my bra and down my stomach. His leg slipped between my thighs as his fingers ghosted over the lace at the top of my panties. I couldn't help fisting my hand in his hair and gasping against his mouth when his fingers slipped inside me. My hips rocked with his movements and my breathing turned ragged and embarrassingly loud.

I groaned when he removed his hand, but he just laughed and removed my panties completely then pulled me into his lap. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and kissed his neck, scraping my teeth over his skin and causing him to shudder beneath me. Edward removed my bra and pushed me down until I was on my back again and he was hovering over me.

"Please tell me this is what you want," Edward breathed as my hand ran down his chest.

"I did, baby. I love you. I want this."

"I just… I don't want to hurt you or anything."

"Edward," I sighed as his forehead fell to my shoulder. "Some things are inevitable." His lips met my skin and I ignored his nervousness and pushed his boxers off his hips. He rolled away from me and I heard him rustling around his nightstand before returning to my side.

He kissed me again and rolled us, spreading my legs with his knees and resting his body on top of mine. My fingers trembled as they brushed away a stray piece of hair from his face. He noticed, of course, and kissed my fingertips before lacing our fingers together. I stared at the ceiling as his lips met my neck and then he pushed himself up. I placed my hands over my pounding heart and listened to the foil package rip. There was no other sound in the room except for our breathing. It was so quiet I swore I could hear my heart beating, too.

"I love you," Edward pressed his forehead to mine as he positioned himself. I took a deep breath and arched against him as he pushed into me. I sucked a breath in through my clenched teeth as I felt that unfamiliar pinch. "I love you, I love you," Edward chanted over and over, noticing my discomfort. I nodded and clutched him to me, seeking solace in his kiss and stifling a sob. It hurt like a bitch, but I wanted it. I wanted him.

His movements were slow and the pain seemed to decrease with each one, with each kiss and sweet word he whispered. I ran my fingers through his hair and held him to me. My legs were wrapped tightly around his waist as his pace quickened, his face buried in my neck.

I silently prayed for it to be over soon, though I felt bad about it. I wanted to do this; I wanted to bring us closer. But my _God_, it hurt and as much as I loved Edward I just wanted to be finished.

I kissed him again and met his eyes. I smiled despite my discomfort because part of me was glad we had waited for each other.

The other part of me was aching for a warm bath and some Advil.

Edward gave a quiet groan and stilled with my limbs still vise-like around him. He pressed his forehead to mine, his breathing heaving. I pulled him into a kiss and loosened my legs before he slipped away and into the bathroom attached to his bedroom. I sat up and ran my hand through my hair, my Prom-do finally falling out.

Edward opened the bathroom door, a small sliver of light peeking into the bedroom. He pulled on his boxers and made his way to where I sat on the edge of the bed. I pulled him between my knees and kissed him softly. We didn't talk about it, there was no need. We both knew that our first time wouldn't be perfect. Edward sighed and wrapped his arms around me, his hands on my bare skin raising goosebumps.

"You want to shower?" he asked me quietly.

I nodded and slipped off the bed. Edward fished out a t-shirt for me to sleep in and gave me a towel from under the sink. I smiled at his ability to take care of me and knew we'd made the right decision that night. We were young, but we were in love. We were also responsible and careful and…completely and utterly head-over-heels for each other.

I showered and dressed, then climbed into a bed of clean sheets with Edward. He pulled me to him and kissed my head before wrapping us up in the thick comforter. I rested my head on his shoulder and we whispered sweet and silly things to each other until sleep overtook us.

I fell even more in love with Edward that night. It was the night I knew that we would always be together.


	11. Moving Out, Moving On

**Steph owns. Killerlashes betas. Three more chapters. :) **

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Chapter 11 – Moving Out, Moving On

"I think that's the last of it," Edward said from the inside of the U-Haul that now held most of his things from Forks.

I frowned and looked up at him, his shirt damp with sweat and clinging to his body. While I was sad that he was moving, going off to college and leaving me in Forks all alone, I kind of wanted everyone to leave so I could peel that sweaty shirt off him.

Edward closed the back of the truck and held his hand out to me, then led me inside the townhouse. Esme was bustling around in the kitchen while Carlisle and Alice were arranging living room furniture. Edward was going to have two roommates once the school year officially started, but would have the house to himself for two weeks until then.

"Get everything out, sweetheart?" Esme called from practically inside the refrigerator.

"Yes ma'am," Edward answered and hoisted himself up on the counter.

"Good. Help me finish the groceries and we'll get out of your hair." She tossed him a roll of paper towels. He smiled and hopped down from the counter, then gave me a quick kiss before helping his mother. I took the opportunity to finish unpacking Edward's clothes and make his bed. My dad had agreed to let me stay the weekend and well, we were going to need a place to…sleep.

"Bella, we're leaving now," Esme called from Edward's bedroom door. I stepped out of the bathroom where I was organizing the bathroom cabinet.

Edward and I told everyone goodbye, and then collapsed on the couch, tired and sweaty from moving all day.

"I can't believe your dad is letting you stay here," Edward said with a laugh. I agreed and snuggled myself closer to him.

"I think Sue talked him into it," I told him.

"I'll…thank her later," he murmured with his lips close to my ear and wrapped an arm tight around me.

We'd waited a while after our first time; neither one of us was really sure how to bring it up again. I mean, we _knew_ what to do but just weren't quite comfortable doing it yet. Eventually we tried again. And again…and again. We tried until we figured out what we were doing and what we liked. Of course, now that I'd actually started to enjoy sex Edward had to move hours away. Not that it was his fault; he had to be there early for orientation and summer classes. Still, I was going to miss him.

A lot.

Everyone in our families had already listened to me cry about it and tried to comfort me in some way. Carlisle was the worst of everyone, though. He couldn't decide if he wanted to comfort me or make sure I knew how important the move was for Edward.

I didn't talk to Carlisle for a few days after that.

I tried not to be all _Romeo and Juliet _about our relationship, I really did. But I also really, _really_ loved Edward.

So I snuggled closer to him and let my hands roam his body, let my lips taste his skin. Edward pulled me into lap and ran his hand through my hair.

"I think I'm going to like this living away from home business," he said softly as he pulled my chin forward. He kissed me gently while his hands slipped under my t-shirt, removing it one swift motion. I laughed and did the same with his. He moved quickly until my bare back was pressed against the couch.

"You know, just because we _can_ doesn't mean we _should_." I brushed his hair away from his face and he laughed against my skin.

"But, we really should live with no regrets, Iz." He smiled down at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Fine." I gave in with a sigh and wrapped my legs around him, bringing him flush against me. Edward grinned triumphantly and kissed me again, more ardent than before.

Then we proceeded to christen the couch.

And then later the bedroom.

And eventually we christened various other parts of the townhouse until my weekend with Edward was over.

My entire senior year was like that. My weekends were spent with Edward in some way, shape, or form. Either I would visit him or he would come home for the weekend. Our relationship was easy as breathing once we finally got all of our families on board. I got to spend enough time with Alice, my school friends, and my family during the week that Dad never worried about whether or not Edward and I were too serious.

When Emmett got his own apartment and started on the police force, Sue and the kids moved in. It was funny almost, how perfect everything seemed to be. We lived as if nothing could ever go wrong.


	12. Shot Down

**Steph owns. Killerlashes betas. Two more chapters that will probably hurt a little. **

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Chapter 12 – Shot Down

EPOV

"Baby, did you try these purple things?" Bella slurred as she clung to my arm. She held out a Jell-O shot, a silly grin plastered on her face.

"I did try them. How many did _you_ try?" I laughed and took the one she offered.

"Down the hatch, baby!" she giggled at the face I made. I really hated Jell-O, especially when it was full of cheap vodka.

"That's disgusting." I tossed the little plastic cup and pulled her against me. We'd been at WSU together for almost a year, but we hardly ever went to parties. Some of the girls from Bella's English class had invited her and we both knew how important it was for us to make sure we were both making friends. We tried really hard, too. Mostly on our parents' request that we not "spend all of our time wrapped up with each other".

Most of the time we actually did listen to our parents. But there were times when we turned off the rest of the world: times when we would go to work and class, and then spend the rest of our time holed up in Bella's dorm room or my bedroom at the townhouse.

So, being drunk at a party was one of those rare occasions. It was also one of those rare occasions that led to drunk sex, so I wasn't really too fussed with the situation.

"Let me take you home," I whispered to her. She shivered against me and I stifled a laugh.

"You mean, '_let me take you home and take your pants off',_ don't you?" Bella frowned up at me.

I shrugged. "Maybe."

"But I'm having fun," she pouted.

"Well, we can have fun at home, too. Without clothes."

"You're a pervert, Edward Cullen." Bella pushed me away and grabbed another shot.

"So? You love me."

"Well, yeah," she huffed and downed the shot then turned back to me. "Fine. Take me home."

"You always give in."

"I'm easy, what can I say?" She giggled and threw her arms around me. I kissed her and held her tightly.

"You better not be," I muttered against her lips.

"Just for you, I swear," Bella said as she nuzzled my neck.

"Hardly," I scoffed but kissed her anyway. "Let's get out of here."

"Lead the way, Lover Boy," she said and pinched my ass. I flinched and ran into the guy in front of me, his beer spilling all over his shirt. "Oops!" Bella laughed and ran out of the house in front of me.

"Sorry, dude." I gave him a pat on the shoulder and then ran after my drunk girlfriend. She was standing and waiting for me on the sidewalk, a huge grin on her face. "Let's go, you lush."

Bella held her hand out to me and I took it and let her lead me back to my house. Well, she tried to lead me.

And then she threw up in the bushes on the way, cursing purple Jell-O the whole time. I tried not to laugh as I helped her into the house and to my bedroom.

"Ugh, stupid little purple things," she groaned into my pillow. I slipped off her shoes and pants, then brought her a bottle of water. "I've ruined your plans, haven't I?"

"Nah." I rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. "I'll have my way with you some other time."

"Okay," Bella whispered, her eyes fluttering closed. "You always take such good care of me."

"Of course," I said softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she mumbled. I covered her up and crawled into bed next to her, knowing that I'd always be there to take care of her, and hoping she knew it too.

xXx

"Wake up." Bella's voice was soft in my ear the next morning.

"Shh. Five more minutes."

"Wake up now, silly."

"I can't. Someone had me up all night worrying they were going to asphyxiate on their own vomit," I muttered and turned toward her. She frowned from her spot, cross-legged in the middle of the bed.

"I made pancakes," she said and offered me a small smile.

"I think…I'd rather have you." I pulled her to me and kissed her. "Since I didn't get you last night, you know."

"Remind me to never do Jell-O shots like, ever again, okay?"

"Will do. Now make it up to me," I told her with a grin.

"You really are dirty, you know." She frowned down at me but took off her shirt anyways.

We had cold pancakes for breakfast that day.

xXx

**Later**

BPOV

"Sue looks beautiful, doesn't she?" I asked as Edward's arms tightened around me.

Dad and Sue had a short ceremony at the courthouse and Edward's parents were holding the reception at their home. Both Dad and Sue were positively glowing, as was the rest of the family.

"I'm having a hard time focusing on anything other than you," he whispered with his lips close to my ear.

"Always the sweet-talker," I whispered back and kissed his cheek.

"How else would I keep you this long?" he smiled and pulled me off to the side of the crowd. "You know, I've been thinking…when's that going to be us?"

"What?" I looked up at him, stunned, and nearly choked on the word as it came out. _Us? Married? _

"Me and you. Married."

_Shit. He said it. _

"You're joking, right?"

"No," Edward said with a frown. "Why would you think that?

"Edward, you can't be serious."

"Bella, I am," he said while giving me his classic "I'm right, you're wrong" look. I hated that look. And – I was completely right.

"I'm _nineteen_. You're hardly twenty. I can't believe you're even thinking about this."

"You don't think about it?" Edward asked quietly.

"I mean, sometimes- but not about it happening any time in the near future," I sighed and shook my head.

"My parents got married young-"

"And so did mine! Look how that turned out!" I interrupted him with a loud whisper.

"Bella, you're being ridiculous. It's not like I'm proposing or anything right now."

"But you might want to? Soon?" I couldn't help the appalled look that crossed my face.

"Is the thought of being with me forever _that_ disgusting for you to picture?"

"No, sweetie… it's not that. It's– can't we talk about this later?" I pleaded with him to drop the subject. The reception of my father and new step-mother's wedding was seriously not the place for that conversation.

"How about we just don't talk about it ever?" he said before stalking away. I gaped after him for a moment until Seth came to my side.

"You want to dance, Izzy?" I smiled and let him lead me to the dance floor. He was almost ten and had grown at least a foot since I'd left for school.

I danced with Seth, and then Emmett, and then with whoever would have me since Edward had abandoned me. It wasn't until some hours later that I found him in his room, silently sulking and reading through some Art History book he'd brought home from school.

"You're missing all the fun," I said as I climbed into his bed.

"I'm having plenty of fun," he replied and tapped the book in front of him. I sighed and closed it, then tossed it over the side of the bed. It landed loudly on the hardwood floor and we both flinched at the sound. Edward sighed and rolled onto his back. I snuggled up to his side and rested my head on his shoulder.

"I love you," I said softly.

"You love me, but the thought of spending eternity with me makes you sick," he muttered, more to himself than me.

"No, it doesn't," I sighed and moved away from him. "It's just too early to think about it."

"I know there's no one else for me," he told me as he turned to me, green eyes practically burning into mine with their earnest intensity.

"And I do, too. That's why there's no rush." I reached over and touched his face softly.

He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to mine. "Don't make me wait too long."

"Don't be such a girl," I snorted.

He laughed and rolled until his body was pressed to mine. "Promise me," he murmured against my neck.

I let my hands run down his back and then pulled his face to mine.

"I promise."


	13. The Other Shoe

**Steph owns, killerlashes betas. One more chapter. Probably later today because I'm an impatient h00r. **

**Oh, this chapter contains scenes previously viewed in Secrets, Lies, & Family Ties. **

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Chapter 13 – The Other Shoe

BPOV

November 2003

"Are you sure this is okay, Edward?" I asked as Edward unlocked the front door to his parent's home.

"Yeah, they won't be back until after the new year. I mean, unless you want to sleep on Emmett's couch…" he trailed off. I sighed and grabbed my bag, not wanting to take advantage of his parents, but really not interested in staying on Emmett's ratty couch.

"Well, you don't have to twist my arm," I said as we walked inside. Edward put our bags in his room and met me in the kitchen. We were prepared to have to dig through the cabinets and refrigerator but found that Esme had stocked them all for us.

That was how we ended cooking Alfredo sauce from scratch and drinking a bottle of white wine. The wine, of course, was why we ended our night curled up on the floor in the living room, naked and wrapped up in one of Esme's hand-knitted blankets.

"This is _so_ much better than Emmett's couch," I sighed and rested my chin on Edward's chest.

He laughed and pushed my hair away from my face. "I told you," he said and ran his hands down my bare back.

I pressed my lips to his skin and pulled myself up his body. "Are you tired?" I kissed him softly and he shook his head, his nose brushing against mine.

Edward chuckled, the sound of his vibrating through his chest and into mine. "Maybe we should take a break and have some food or something."

I frowned but pulled myself away from him. I wrapped myself up in the afghan and padded into the kitchen, Edward following me after slipping on his jeans. He hoisted himself up onto the counter while I fixed us both big bowls of pasta and warmed them in the microwave.

Edward wrapped his legs around me from the counter and handed me a glass of wine that he'd poured.

"Need…food," he muttered when I tried to kiss him.

"Wimp," I teased.

"Woman, I'm only human. I need nourishment. Strength even," Edward explained as he hopped off the counter and grabbed the pasta I'd warmed. He took it into the dining room and we sat- him shirtless in his ratty jeans and me naked and wrapped in a blanket.

Life was good.

I'd never felt more in love with Edward than that night, just before Thanksgiving with my family. Things had been going amazingly well between us. Not that they weren't always good but sometimes we hit bumps and sometimes we were at each other's throats. We were both a semester away from graduating: Edward with his Master's and me with my Bachelor's degree. I was getting ready to start an internship at a high school close to WSU. It seemed as though those things were falling into place perfectly.

Well, almost perfectly. Edward had abruptly stopped mentioning marriage to me. After our conversation at my dad and Sue's wedding so many years before we didn't mention it for almost a year. Then one day someone asked us when we were going to get married and it turned into something we talked about casually. We'd decided that we would wait until after Edward graduated, and that was the only stipulation we had.

Now, with six months until graduation it was like he'd totally forgotten about it.

"What are you thinking?" Edward refilled my wine glass and cleaned my bowl away for me.

"Nothing," I said and smiled up at him, not wanting to ruin what had become such a lovely night. "What are you thinking?"

"That I could really, really use a shower right now." He rubbed a hand over his naked chest and I sighed. "Care to join me?"

"Like you really had to ask." I stifled a giggle and let him lead me upstairs. We spent the next day like that: completely absorbed in each other and too busy to worry about the outside world. It wasn't until both we finally checked our phones to notice that every member of my family had called both of us.

"We should probably make an appearance now," Edward sighed and pulled me on top of him. I frowned down at him and kissed his nose.

"But I don't want to." I pretended to pout.

"Yes, but then they'll come over here and see the trail of clothes everywhere and that would just be embarrassing. Plus, I need to talk to your dad."

"About what?" I asked and pushed myself up so we could make an effort to make ourselves more presentable.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," he replied and kissed me quickly, "but I want to have a cover story for the trail of clothes, just in case." Then he showered alone.

We traveled back to school after Thanksgiving dinner and Edward didn't mention anything about why he'd wanted to talk to my dad. The way that Edward smiled and how Dad glared at him over our dinner gave me an inkling of what they may have talked about.

I tried not to be too excited.

xXx

EPOV

Christmas Day 2003

_We wandered the short trail in the woods, the Swan house still visible. Just a mere 12 hours ago I was planning to propose to her, but then I got the call offering me an internship at a prestigious firm in Australia. I was going to ask her to come with me instead of proposing. I couldn't pass up this opportunity; I hadn't really expected to get the internship when I applied for it, and so I hadn't told anyone about it. She was shocked, hurt, that I had done something without telling her. _

_I pleaded with her to forgive me, but she was stubborn and pissed off, not a good combination for her. It was selfish of me to ask her to come with me, to leave everything behind: school, Emmett, Charlie, all her friends from school. But I needed her like I needed the air I was breathing. With each "no" she spoke it became a little harder to breathe. She was set in her decision, expecting me to break and agree with her, like I usually did. But I didn't budge either, because this was my dream. She should've understood that._

_But she didn't, and that's when I broke. I was angry that she wasn't going to support me so I spoke six words that I never thought I would ever say to her, words that shattered everything we had in ways I didn't even know it could be broken. It astonished me the way our four-year relationship fell apart right before my eyes, because the words I spoke were a complete and utter lie. _

_"Fine." I stood, looking down at her; she was sitting on a fallen tree trunk with her arms wrapped around her knees, her face set and her eyes dry. "I don't want you to come," I stated, with no emotion in my voice. _

_It was toneless; I could imagine the matching look on my face. I felt nothing at the moment, because I knew everything I'd been living for was slipping away as I spoke the lie that broke us both beyond repair._

_She stood up, her face and voice showing no signs of emotion either. "You don't want me?" she asked in a hollow voice._

"_No. I don't." I set my jaw and she stepped forward slowly, her__fists clenched at her side. Her face was just inches from mine; I could feel her breath caressing my neck as I stared over her head, seeing nothing._

"_Then go," she whispered, and I could hear her voice shake. I looked down into her deep brown, fathomless eyes. Tears were starting to sparkle in them and my own eyes started to sting. I reached up hesitantly to brush away one that had fallen from her cheek. She closed her eyes and held my palm to her face briefly. _

_When she opened her eyes again, they were dead. I had never seen this look in her eyes, and it frightened me. "Goodbye, Edward," she whispered and then turned abruptly, leaving me alone in the forest among the snow and barely living plants. I knew how they felt; part of me was dead, too._

BPOV

"He's gone," I muttered once I finally made it inside the house. I couldn't find the words to explain it to my family; all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and disappear.

Edward was gone. He'd left me for some _job_ halfway around the world. He didn't even think twice about it.

Anger and hurt consumed me for weeks after Edward left. School and work became my main focus and my reason for surviving.

That was, of course, until I found out about a new reason for living.

Something that completely changed my life.

Something that made me want to live again.


	14. A New Beginning

**Steph owns, killerlashes betas. This is the last chapter. Remember - this is a prequel, so if you haven't read Secrets, Lies, & Family Ties... I'm sorry for the ending? **

**ILY! Thanks for reading! **

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Chapter 14 – A New Beginning

BPOV

March 2004

"Are you sure you want to know?" Sue asked quietly.

I sighed and looked up at her, her dark eyes worried. Looking down, I rubbed a hand over my belly and smiled. "Yeah, I really do. I want to be prepared," I explained.

"Lord help us if it's a boy. Your brothers will be over the moon," she said and went back to the magazine in front of her. I smiled, though it was a sad one. I was excited to find out what the baby was, but it was difficult doing it alone. Everyone was anxious to find out what I was having – both Emmett and Seth were really hoping for a boy. Truth was, having a boy would be very difficult for me. Knowing that I would be bringing a son into the world where his father was absent was something that had weighed on my mind since I'd found out I was pregnant. With my luck he would look just like Edward, too.

But being alone was my choice. Edward was gone. I hadn't heard from him or his family since Christmas and I had no interest in talking to them either. I was angry and upset at him for leaving, for not letting me explain, or trying to talk about our options.

When I made the decision to not tell Edward about the baby I didn't think twice about it. My family didn't agree, but my mind was made up. I knew it was selfish but part of me was really proud of Edward for following his dream, for doing something with his life.

Of course…the other part of me hated him.

"Bella?" The nurse called my name and led Sue and me back to a small room. I settled myself on the chair and lifted my shirt up. I'd had a sonogram before but it was just a routine one, nothing to see yet. Today was definitely more exciting.

"Okay, Bella. We're going to try and find out the sex today, hopefully your baby will cooperate," the nurse said while she squirted the gel over my belly and rubbed the device over it. I inhaled sharply and Sue grabbed my hand. I squeezed it tightly and smiled at the sight of my baby on the small screen.

"Can you tell?" Sue's voice was quiet. I knew she was just as nervous as I was.

"Yep. Looks like we've got a boy," she said with a smile. I tried to smile at her but my vision was blurred and my tears were falling before I could compose myself. Sue wrapped an arm around me and tried to soothe me.

I shouldn't have reacted that way. I should have been happy that I was having a healthy baby boy. But I was too distraught at the fact that my son was going to grow up without a father to see the positive in the situation.

I knew that I couldn't take all of the blame for that, though. Edward had chosen to leave, he had chosen to cut off every tie we had. I knew my baby would be loved, and that was going to have to be good enough for me.

xXx

August 13th, 2004

"Is he okay? Is everything alright?" My voice sounded foreign to me; it was hoarse, exhausted, and too raw to be my own. People bustled around the room, busying themselves with the baby and not answering my questions. He'd been ceremoniously ripped from my grasp to be cleaned and wrapped. I really wanted him back.

Finally, my dad appeared at my side. He kissed my forehead and smoothed my hair.

"He's perfect," he said softly.

I nodded and let out a sigh of relief. Eventually he was back in my arms. I held him close and breathed him in. Nervously, I pulled the little striped cap from his head and stifled a groan.

Thick auburn hair covered his little head.

Sue laughed from behind me. "We should have known that was going to happen," she said softly.

I smiled and kissed his head, too content with having him in my arms to worry about it. The more I studied him, they more I saw it though. The shape of his eyes, the slope of his nose… Edward was there and very prominent in my baby boy's features. I realized then that I didn't hate Edward, not really. He made a decision that was best for him and for the most part I respected that. I couldn't hate him, though. In that moment, as I held my little boy, I was grateful for Edward.

He had given me the most precious gift I'd ever received.

"Does he have a name, mom?" the neonatal nurse asked. I looked from Dad to Sue and nodded.

"Masen. His name is Masen," I told her.

Sue kissed my forehead and Dad gave a loud sniff.

"Masen Charles Swan," I said to placate my dad. I knew he wouldn't be happy about the name, but Edward and I had talked about it before. I had always known what his name would be.

"Well, that's not so bad," Dad said gruffly. "He's kind of cute."

"He's beautiful," Sue said while elbowing him gently. I laughed and looked down at Masen, completely mesmerized already.

I knew that my life would never be the same.


End file.
